Perfect Insanity
by ClownQween'69
Summary: 2 After spending some time away from the Joker, Willow finally feels shes over him, until they come to meet again. Emotions are out of control as they wonder how they feel about each other & they both come to startling surprises, Joker/OC. (Sequel to DWTS) (Rated M for a reason)
1. I Miss You

Willow felt like she was the ugliest being at Arkham. She had once been so used to her dark make-up, her slick straight hair, clothes that showed off her slim and curvy body... but now her face was bare, her hair was a curly and somewhat greasy mess, and the Arkham clothes she was forced to wear did nothing for her. Now, clad in long, thick pajama-like dark gray pants and a matching long sleeved gray shirt, Willow slowly walked down the bare halls of Arkham, a guard on either side of her. Her first month in Arkham hadn't been going so smoothly. She barely ever uttered a word to the Arkham officials, and when her time came to talk to her doctor, Dr. Hiram, she would barely utter two words to him within their hour long visit in his office. It wasn't like she wanted to talk to him anyway, since one of the first things he did was have all of Willow's piercings removed. She was told it was 'regulation', that no inmate have anything they could harm themselves with, and he also told her it was good to start new, and have nothing that reminded her of the Joker. Unknown to her, Dr. Hiram had also arranged for Arkham's private surgeons to fix her two large scars. Dr. Hiram knew he wouldn't get through to Willow until all traces of Joker, physically, had been gone.

But until then he was still making no progress when her time came to visit him. Willow did nothing but lay in her poor excuse for a bed in her bare cell, having all the time in the world to think about one subject and one subject only. Her heel had healed almost completely now, and she could finally walk on her own, though she still wore a thin bandage wrapped around it and her foot inside of her cloth-material gray 'shoes.'

The weeks had gone by slowly, and doctors grew considered at her lack of progress at the asylum. They knew she had been with Joker, and individually a lot of them felt sorry for her, but were confused at her lack of efforts to try and get well again. She rarely ate, and rarely showered with the rest of the woman inmates. She passed up on her 'free-time' hour almost everyday, and spent most of her days in her cell on her cot, her back facing the door. Her eyes were always lined with red due to the unlimited amount of tears she cried every night, which caused some of the inmates in her hall to only complain about the eerie weeps that escaped passed the little bars on her cell door. But Willow never spoke a word to any doctor. She kept all of her problems built up inside her, that is, except when she talked to Jonathan Crane, her only friend in Arkham.

Around the time she had first arrived he was always sitting in the 'recreation room' at the small table right in front of the door against the wall, playing chess with a new person every time Willow walked inside. She never paid much attention to him, but she always noticed how he stared directly at her as she made her way inside and moved towards the couch to awkwardly sit there and watch whatever was on the TV. She always ignored him, but couldn't get over the slight creepy feeling he gave her each time she went in there.

Jonathan Crane, however, found Willow to be striking. All his time at Arkham he had never seen such a beautiful woman locked up. He knew she was the one that had been with the Joker, and it confused him slightly to see she wasn't nearly as 'insane' as he figured she would be, after being with him for so long. She was quiet and reserved, and she never spoke to him or anyone else for that matter. But he continued to observe her over the weeks, picking up on some of her small habits the one hour of the day he saw her.

Finally, just as the end of her first month approached, Willow had enough of how he always stared at her, and she finally made a point to call him out on it.

"What is your problem?" She bitterly asked him once she had stormed inside the room and straight up to the chess table, where he currently sat alone. Everyone was startled to hear her speak, but Willow ignored everyone's startled faces. "Why are you _always_ staring at me?"

Jonathan merely smiled at her as he studied her angry expression through his glasses before he calmly took them off, still smiling as he folded them and placed them on the table in front of him.

"I'm sorry," he said. His voice was deep and smooth, and he cocked his head to the side as he looked into her bright green eyes. "Does it bother you?"

"Obviously," Willow spat at him as she shifted all her weight to the right side, and Jonathan admired how curvy her body was through the baggy clothes that barely fit her. "Obviously I'm not in the best condition, so except that I look like shit and move the fuck on."

Jonathan was taken back but her rudeness for a moment, but he recovered quickly and chuckled to himself as he shook his head. "Oh, it's quite the opposite," he said as he looked back up to her, enjoying her confused face. "You're _stunning_."

Willow cocked an eyebrow at him as she stared into his light, icy blue eyes. The man wasn't bad looking; he had black hair that ended just barely passed his ear, and it smoothly waved back, exposing his whole face. He had a very noticeable jaw line and shaped pink lips. All in all he was rather handsome, even under his certain circumstances. He was the best looking person she had seen in Arkham at all, but it didn't matter to her.

"Real funny," she said sarcastically and she was just about to walk off until he spoke up.

"I don't joke," Jonathan said in a calm and even voice, and Willow stopped short. "If you ask me you look much better without all that black around your eyes. I'm sure _The Joker _would too. But you were with him for such a long time..." he looked down and straightened out his shirt before he looked back up to her. "So I'm sure that you already know that."

Willow cocked an eyebrow at him again, her heart stinging due to hearing his name spoken out loud.

"I saw you all over the news, Willow," he said, smirking at her. "I watched all the footage on your court cases they showed on the news, and I have to ask, why not rat him out? It probably would have saved you a trip all the way up here." He sat back and smiled contentedly at her as he crossed his arms, enjoying how she blankly stared at him for a moment.

Willow ignored his question and sighed loudly. "He's coming back for me," she told him in her best convincing voice she could put on, though she only half believed herself. Over the weeks though she had convinced herself that he would. He _had_ to, right? "He's going to come and break me out."

"_Really_..." Jonathan said in a bored voice. "Then why hasn't he shown up yet?" He parted his lips and leaned forward, before he uncrossed his arms and nodded at the chair in the opposite side of the table, and he smiled slightly when Willow actually sat down with a huff.

"You want my opinion?" Jonathan asked as Willow crossed her arms, glaring at him. He leaned forward and started directly into her eyes. "I don't think he's coming back."

Willow's lips parted at this and she felt that ping through her heart, and for a moment Jonathan saw a _real_ emotion Willow was feeling: deep and pure sadness. For a split second the blank mask that she wore had faded away, only for her to quickly put it back on.

"You don't know that," she said.

"Okay, maybe you're right," Jonathan said as he sat back in his chair. "Why don't you tell me what happened."

Willow remained glaring at him as she bit her tongue. She didn't want to talk to him. She didn't even know his name. Why would she tell him what had happened, and how she felt? Jonathan sighed when he realized she wasn't going to speak, and he leaned forward again, placing his folded hands on the table just in front of his glasses.

"By the way," he said. "My name is Jonathan Crane. _Doctor_ Jonathan Crane."

Willow raised an eyebrow. "You're not a doctor," she observed with a haughty tone.

"Was," Jonathan said. "_And_ I used to work here. I was a psychiatrist. And a damn good one too," he said grinning to himself. Willow continued to glare at him.

"If you were so good," she said. "What happened? Why are _you_ here."

"No, no," Jonathan said as he sat back again, crossing his arms. "You tell me, and I'll tell you. Besides, _I_ asked first." He grinned at her, his eyes glowing, and she swallowed, suddenly feeling dizzy. She hadn't spoken of the incident out loud since it happened, but suddenly it all came pouring out of her. She told him of the whole bridge plan, and all that led up to the explosion. She told him how nervous she had been, but also how excited, and how badly she longed to impress him. She told him of how she and Joker had been acting towards one another, and finally, with a quivering voice, she told him how he had just left her laying in the street as she called for him, and how he just let the police take her away, his safety more important than her own. Jonathan had listened intently, nodding every now and again as he made a hard thinking face, taking in her every word. When Willow finished her story he glanced up and saw she was on the verge of tears again, but this wasn't going to hold him back from speaking out loud his currently thought. Jonathan was an incredibly truthful man, and he spoke it how he saw it.

"Well," he said as he raised his black eyebrows. "Honestly, he's not coming back, Willow." He heard Willow sniffle slightly as she looked at him, but she tried hard not to cry. Jonathan went on, "it was so easy for him to leave you there like that; it sounds like he didn't care. He wanted an out to how he had been acting with you, and that seemed like it was the best way."

"How do you know that?" Willow asked as she frowned at him, sniffling for the last time.

"I was a psychiatrist," he said. "It's what I'm best at. Of course you would think he'd come back for you, he was acting so kindly towards you. But truth is he's the _Joker_, he has no heart."

Willow swallowed back the lump that had rose in her throat over Jonathan's hurtful words, but yet she found herself wanting him to continue.

"You see," Jonathan started as he leaned forward again. "My theory is, because of thinking about the memory too long and too much, it has warped your mindset on it all, thus causing you to believe he had a good _reason_ for leaving you, which is why you think he'll come for you. Honestly Willow, I'm sorry to say, he doesn't _care_ for you, and he probably never did."

Willow bit her lip as she looked away, and more tears swelled in her eyes. She didn't want to believe him, but deep down she knew he was dead on track, even after just talking to him for about fifteen minutes. "But it all seemed so real," she forced herself to say as she turned back to him, her long brown hair in her face. "I mean, he ever only hurt me once. And after that he was just so... _nice_ to me."

"All an act," Jonathan said. "He confuses people Willow, trust me, I know. Having lived in the same city with him it seems all my life, I've learned quite a lot about him. Truthfully it's a good thing you came _here_."

"Why?" She asked as she crossed her arms, her too long of sleeves dangling down passed her hands.

"You need _help_," Jonathan said. "Any girl who thinks the Joker actually, dare I say, _loves_ her needs help."

Willow laughed slightly as she shook her head. She didn't think Joker _loved_ her. _That_ was a completely insane thought. She just figured he was comfortable around her, just _liked_ her. But Jonathan's hurtful words about it all seemed like a slap in the face. She didn't want to believe him, and her scarred mind told her over and over again how he was wrong, he was just making accusations because he was jealous. But deep down this wasn't the case...

"I highly doubt any of these doctors can, will, or even _want_ to help you, for that matter," he said in a hushed tone. "The police are all over them, and the only thing they want from you is information on the Joker so they can lock him up again."

Willow absentmindedly nodded, thinking to herself how he was probably right.

"I'm sorry to say, but it's the truth. Now if you want some _real_ help, talk to me," he offered. "It seems in the twenty minutes we have spent talking, I just got to know you more than any doctor in this building has." He smiled cockily at her and she couldn't help but grin.

"So you actually _care_?" Willow questioned, and she shrugged.

"I didn't say that," he said as he raised an eyebrow, and Willow shook her head, the grin on her face refusing to fade.

That had been the first time she had talked to him. Their first conversation had gone pretty well, because Willow found herself going to the recreation room almost everyday, and on the days she did she'd always sit with Jonathan to chat. He had finally told her why he was there upon their third or forth meeting. Willow discovered that Jon had created his own type of antibiotic which he called his 'fear gas'. He explained when in contact with it, the victim instantly starts see their own worst fear right before their eyes, and goes into a state of shock. He told her about the persona he had taken on, The Scarecrow. When asked upfront what he did to be locked in Arkham, all he said simply was" 'my 'patients' for the fear gas weren't exactly... voluntary, and I might have used it to keep some thugs out of jail.' He then reminded her how lucky she should consider herself for not being thrown in jail. After some thought, Willow figured he was right.

Doctors were pleased to see Willow actually talking, but what troubled them is that it was only to another inmate, a very dangerous one at that, and this proved very frustrating for Dr. Hiram, until just around the start of Willow's second month.

She had just entered the recreation room and saw Jonathan sitting in his normal spot at the chess table. Her usual seat was open, and Jonathan smiled at her as she sat down. She immediately placed her elbows on the table and started rubbing her eyes with her fingers until she slid her hands up to rub them with her palms. Jonathan frowned.

"Bad night?" He asked, though he knew the answer. Willow always had 'bad nights.'

"I have to meet with the stupid doctor today," Willow said as she considered to rub her eyes.

"Why is that bad?" Jonathan asked as he shook his head, Willow now running her fingers through her tangled hair before she glanced up at him.

"I hate him," she said. "I don't like talking to him."

Jonathan took her answer to heart, he hated all the doctors too, since more and more each day they proved themselves to be rather mediocre when he compared himself as a doctor to them, but as always, he had a bit of advice for Willow.

"I hate them too," he consoled. "And, I know I told you that all they want, really at this point, is information from you so they catch him... again. But the thing is here, if you don't start showing some 'progress'..." he held up his hands to to quote the word, "then all the better reason they have to keep you here for as long as they see fit."

Willow raised an eyebrow now as she sat back in her chair, staring into his icy blue eyes. He grinned when he saw her confusion and he laughed slightly.

"They see you now as totally insane," he said. "When the way I see it is that you're totally being yourself, only, well... sad. But who wouldn't be after being here for more than a few days. Point is, 'sane', to the doctors, is you becoming a completely new person with a completely new and fresh mindset. They want to see that you've completely moved on from your past and you're ready to start new. And they won't even consider releasing you until they see this start to happen." Jonathan had made a point of leaning in and talked rather quietly as to not let the guards hear. "I've seen it before," he said. "I see it all the time, but Michele White was the best case I've observed. I don't know why she went' crazy' though obviously she wasn't, at all, because one day, after spending two months here, she woke up and realized continuing to be herself here wasn't working. So she became the person the doctors _wanted_ to see. She started being polite to them, starting being nicer to other inmates. She listened to every single word the doctors and guards told her she should do..."

By now Willow was making a somewhat disgusted face at him, and he laughed, smiling widely.

"I know," he said. "But it worked. Exactly one month later, she was released."

"How do you know it was all an act though?" Willow asked rather loudly, and Jonathan met his eyebrows in the middle as he held his pointer finger up to his lips. Willow sighed a little and leaned in further. "Like how do you know she just didn't really change?"

"Because she was on the news," he told her. "Doing the same ol' things she used to."

Willow stared at the corner of the white table now as she thought. "You really think if I appeal to the doctors they'll let me go?" She wondered quietly as she moved her eyes back to his.

"I do," he said. "I guarantee it."

Willow thought further, considering this. It had already been two months, two _long_ months. All she had was another two months to go, _if _and only if she started to become the person doctors wanted. She suddenly grinned slyly. She would pretend to be on the path of recovery, and once she was released, she'd immediately find Joker. It was perfect, really, and all of the sudden she felt completely eager to get started.

"How long have you been here?" She asked somewhat randomly.

"Five months," Jonathan said, sounding somewhat proud, and Willow's mouth fell.

"Then why aren't _you_ on your way out of here?" She asked. "I'm sure you'd be the one to take your own advice."

"Because I was sentenced for a much longer time than you," he put simply. "One year," he added with a sigh as he glanced down his hands on the table in front of him, and he rotated his thumbs around each other.

"A year?" Willow repeated. "That's crazy!"

"I guess," he said. "Honestly, for what I did, I think it's a little short. But I'm not complaining," he added with a smile and a laugh.

"How come I never heard of you?" She asked. "I never saw you on the news."

"That's because if it wasn't about Bruce's latest charity or some other sob story, it was you're boyfriend stealing all the glory. Everyone else gets pushed back into the shadows."

Willow frowned suddenly. "He is _not_ my boyfriend." He glared at him now, ignoring what he had said. "I don't even know what he was... he was just always-"

"No, no, no," Jonathan interrupted. "_That_ is what's going to keep you in here for a very, very long time," he said. "Let it go, and if you can't, pretend." He grinned as he leaned back in his chair, and he pointed at her as he lowered his head. "Consider this your first lesson."

Willow immediately shut up and she slouched down in her chair before she took a deep breath, finding him to be correct, yet again.

"When is the last time you showered?" Jonathan asked, and Willow widened her eyes at him as her lips parted.

"Uh..." she started, and she could feel her face reddening. "Why?"

"Because appearance is everything if you want to show the doctors your 'recovering'." He nodded at this. "Take showers _every_ chance you get, and if you want to really make an impression, request, as often as you can, for your clothes to be washed. It's incredibly annoying to the doctors, but in the long run it works. If they see you're starting to take care of yourself as best you can, it will only speed up the process."

Willow smiled slightly as she considered this. "Awesome," she said. "Thanks for the advice."

Jonathan smiled at this. "So when you get out, are you going to immediately find the Joker?" He titled his head to the side as he waited for Willow to reply. All she did was grin slyly at him as she blinked before replying smartly:

"Joker who?"

–

Willow had slept pretty well that night, though she had a rather hard time falling asleep. She tossed and turned on her bed, and for a full straight hour she wondered what Joker had been doing over her time spent in Arkham, and more specifically what he was doing at that exact moment in time. She almost felt like since her outside life had stopped, Joker's had too, but she knew that he was still out, doing his own thing. She wanted to believe that he was somewhat upset about her trip to Arkham, but then again it made no sense he would be. He had intentionally left her without a second thought. The thought nearly brought on more tears, but Willow held them back, and instead forced herself to clear her mind.

The next morning, however, she woke up feeling rather rested, and after laying in her bed for about an hour, mindlessly tracing patterns on the white wall with her finger, a guard had come to her door to inform her it was time to visit with her doctor. As she walked through the halls she wondered to herself how she should start her 'healing process'. She knew she couldn't instantly start rambling on about everything; she'd have to take it slow.

At long last they had reach Dr. Hiram's door, and he greeted them outside of it, smiling warmly at Willow, though she could see right through it. He allowed her to step inside and she took her usual seat on the comfortable red chair just in front of his desk. As Dr. Hiram walked over to his desk he couldn't help but sneak a glance over at Willow as she situated herself in her seat. He found her to be rather attractive, but he'd never admit this out loud. It was unprofessional, and if he let his mind really decide he found her to be pretty, he'd have a hard time trying to help her.

"So, Willow," he said. "How are we this morning?"

Willow shrugged as she crossed her legs on front of her, Indian style, and she ran her hands over the arms of the chair.

"How did you sleep?" He pushed on as he took out his pad with observation notes. Willow remained quiet until she raised her green eyes to look into his brown ones.

"Okay," she answered, and it was almost bone-chilling for him to hear her voice. "Had a hard time falling asleep, but once I did it was good."

"Wow," he said as he smiled. "I think that's the first full sentence you've said to me all month." He laughed as he wrote something down and Willow took the time to roll her eyes.

"What kept you up?" He asked now as he glanced up at her, and she sighed.

"Thoughts of... the Joker," she stopped herself short, and proceeded with saying his name slowly as she slightly bowed her head, staring at him. Dr. Hiram frowned and nodded at this.

"Thoughts like what?" He asked. "Please, Willow, be specific. I'm here to help you."

Willow wanted to roll her eyes, but she refrained from doing so and instead forced a smile. She quickly thought of what she could say that didn't sound too staged but also didn't make her come off as too far gone.

"Just..." she started. "About that night."

"What about that night?" Dr. Hiram asked as he stared right into her eyes. Willow bit her lip as she looked away.

"Just, why he'd leave me," she forced herself to say as casually as she could, though admittedly it was rather hard. Dr. Hiram nodded at this.

"Yes, well," he said. "Maybe he figured it was time to let you go?"

Willow felt a sharp pain go through her heart and she immediately gritted her teeth as she looked down. Suddenly she felt as though she couldn't do this. A lump had risen in her throat and she swallowed it back as she focused on breathing slowly and deeply.

"I've never seen anyone who's been in your shoes before, I can honestly say," he said in an even and gentle tone. "But I have read other doctor's notes on him, and if I'm being honest with you, it does sound like something he would do."

That lump arose in her throat again, and this time she had a harder time swallowing it back. She clutched the fabric of her pants, and she could feel her own nails digging into her skin.

"He doesn't care about anyone but himself," the doctor continued as if he actually knew this. "I can't get into his brain, nor do I want to, but the fact he kept you around for so long is intriguing. I know it's hard, but you need to hear this and understand this Willow. He is a very intelligent man, capable of making anyone believe what he wants them to..."

Hot tears burned behind her eyes, and Willow let out a quivering breath as one fell from her eye and dripped onto her pants. She thinned her lips as she closed her eyes tight, feeling that same heartache she had felt that night as she watched the Joker go as Dr. Hiram told her all these _lies_. The doctor continued to go on, basically telling her what a horrible man the Joker was. _As if he actually knows this_, Willow thought as more tears fell from her eyes. Finally she raised her hands to her face and she covered her eyes as she sniffled loudly. Dr. Hiram stopped talking once he realized his patient was now crying. She had never cried in his office before, and he sat silently as he watched her.

"Willow?" He started, and he waited for her to answer, but only got a sniffle and a quivering breath as a response. "Willow..." he started again. "I know this is hard to hear, but-"

"You don't know anything about him," she said in a shaky voice as she dropped her hands, and she glared at him as two more tears dripped off her face. "You weren't there. You didn't hear the things he fucking said to me!"

"Willow," he started calmly as to not upset her further, and thinking back he quickly realized that maybe he had started off too harsh with her. He figured she could take it, but obviously he would have to go a little bit slower in the future. All he wanted to do now was calm her down...

"No," she said as she uncrossed her legs. "I'm done fucking talking about it!" She stood up now as her face reddened and more tears burst their way through. "I want to get out of here! I hate it!" She stormed over to the door now, but Dr. Hiram stood up quickly and stood in front of the door as he held her shoulders, trying to calm her down. "I want to go back to him!" She yelled loudly as she tried to fight him off, but Dr. Hiram was too strong, and he searched for words he could say to Willow. But instead of speaking to her, he reached for the walkie-talkie on his desk as Willow violently threw her limbs every which way, her hand colliding hard against his chest. "_I miss him!_" She continued, and the words that she had said without even thinking only caused her to cry harder once she realized how true the statement was.

"Jeffery tell security to get down to office twenty seven, Dr. Hiram's room," he said into the walkie-talkie. "A patient of mine is having another break down."

Willow continued to cry until finally she fell backwards, letting her butt hit the floor as she continued to sob. All she could think about was Joker running through that door and taking her away from it all. She wanted to be in his embrace and take in his wonderful scent, but her mean mind was already telling her it was useless. Suddenly two security guards quickly came through the door and marched straight over to Willow, and they grabbed her arms as they started to hoist her up.

"No!" she yelled as she tried to get out of the grasp, but it proved useless, and beyond the door the guards could see a few other doctors peeking out of their office doors to see what was going on. "Let me go!" She shouted. "Let me fucking go!"

The guards ignored her ear-piercing yells as they started out of the room, Willow thrashing about all the while.

"I want to go home!" She forced out as she breathed deeply, winded from crying so hard. "Please," she said in a quieter voice as she shook her head, tears spilling down her reddened face. "_I want to go home!"_ She screamed as loud as she could. Her voice echoed off the walls, and even startled a few doctors in adjoining hallways who had been in their office. Dr. Hiram stepped into the hall and watched as Willow continued to struggled, trying to get out of the guards grasps. He shook his head as she closed his door, and he turned around, Willow still screaming to the ceiling. He figured it was time to have a little chat with Dr. Arkham about partaking with some changes in Willow's arrangement in the asylum. He knew the best thing to do was force her mindset to change, and erase all traces of Joker from her life, but physically and mentally. And the first thing he was going to do to kick-start this change was fix her horrid scars...

**First chapter to the new sequel! (Told you it would come quick) By the way, I don't really take suggestions from other people and put them into my stories. I write what I feel, and I write what _I_ want. Everything I do with this story comes from _me_ because I wanted it that way and planned for it to happen. So leave me some reviews and the next chapter shall arrive shortly **


	2. Forceful Changes

The clock on the other side of the room ticked loudly, each tick only worsening Joker's mood as he sat at his desk, staring out of the window just beyond the computer screen. Below and stretched in front of him, the wide field in the back of the apartment building was covered in fresh, green grass, and the trees in the distance swayed back and forth slightly in the gentle wind. Joker hadn't blinked over the passed few minutes, but when he heard a sudden bang from below him he instantly snapped out of his daze, and he shook his head as he closed his eyes tightly, growling slightly.

He stood up now and marched across his office and threw his door open. He frowned at the silence; even after a whole month he _still_ always expected to see Animal Plant on the TV, and the top of Willow's head just barely peeking out from the top of the couch. He stared at the bare living room for a moment before he finally blinked a few times, getting even more agitated with himself now. The passed month had seemed to creep by ever so slowly, and each day, no matter where Joker went in his apartment, he was constantly reminded of Willow. Even objects that Willow had never even touched or stood next to reminded him of her in some way; his mind always found a way to relate the two. Must to his dismay, a smile would sometimes seem to crack his face when a random thought of her came about, only to be followed my an angry sigh and a large frown.

Joker couldn't remember the last time he was in a good mood, ever since Willow had left. _Left..._ he thought in his mind. As if she had just picked up her things and decided to leave him, and go off somewhere, on a vacation of sorts. But it wasn't the case, all of her belongings were still in her room, right where she had left them, even to the clothes she was wearing before she changed to go with Joker to blow up the bridges. When Joker got home that night he saw them in her room on the floor, as if she had just been there. He stood in the doorway for a while, still barely out of breath from all that running, his mind still all out of whack from the treacherous thoughts he had been forced to think quickly, before he finally closed the door, and it had remained that way ever since.

He took a quick side glance at the door now as he walked passed it, and he took out a single cigarette from his new pack and that black lighter before he started down the stairs. Another loud banging noise erupted from behind Loc's door, and once Joker had reached the bottom of the stairs he immediately pounded his fist twice on the door. A short second later Loc opened the door, and stared up at the Joker.

"Has that body been taken care of?" Joker asked in a low voice as he glared down at Loc, who nodded.

"Yes," he answered before he swallowed. Lately the Joker had been in nothing but a bad mood, and it made literally everyone afraid to talk to him, for they always feared that Joker had found _something_ that they had done wrong, even if it was a week old.

"How?" Joker tested as he raised his eye brows.

"We b-burned it in the back," Loc said. "You can still see where the fire was, we just haven't -"

Joker interrupted him by turning around and walking out of the apartment's main door. Loc quickly stopped talking and watched him step onto the small concrete landing before he started off towards the side of the building. Loc now allowed himself to roll his eyes before he closed the door. He hated how bitter the Joker had been ever since Willow had been taken care of. Everything was supposed to be _better_ now, when in reality it seemed as though everything was worse. All Joker's men had been doing was just hanging out in their own apartments. Over the passed month the only jobs they had gotten was to take care of the two bodies from Joker's personal, pointless 'joy' killings. One had been a cop, the other just a normal civilian.

Joker mindlessly walked through the tall grass, his eyes focused on the cemetery ahead. He didn't go over to it though, despite sort of wanting to, deep down, and instead walked passed it and leaned on the railing of the concrete stairs in the back of the building to light up his cigarette. It seemed as though he was acting saddened this whole time, but he would _not_ allow his mind to declare this. He wasn't _sad_, if anything he was just a little weirded out. He had just gotten used to Willow being there, and now suddenly she was gone. All he did everyday and night now was just think about her, and recall how he had acted around her, almost as if he _liked_ her. On the surface he denied it all, but deep down he knew the truth, and the constant battle was driving him, literally, insane.

He exhaled the large stream of smoke and stared at a black ant as it ventured out of the grass and onto the concrete. It paused for a moment, lost, unsure about where to go in this new setting, before he finally ventured on towards Joker's shoe, deciding to take its chances with its chosen rout to get to where it wanted to be. Joker watched it as it slowly came closer to him, and he took another drag. He took a deep breath as he closed his eyes, and for the first time ever he let his mind think what it wanted. He wondered how, exactly, Willow was doing in Arkham, how she was handling herself. He could recall how it had been for him, and he figured Willow's experience was much different. He went on to wonder if she had started to say anything about his whereabouts, or if she kept quiet like he had seen on the news over her court cases. He wondered if she'd actually be out in four months...

He forced his eyes to snap open and he took another drag, inhaling deeply. He shook his head, angry at himself, again, for even _caring_. He had left Willow behind for a reason. He had spend countless nights laying awake, tossing and turning over the matter, and it angered him to realize the true reason why he had left her. Over Willow's time there with him, Joker had begun to realize that certain things Willow did drove him _crazy_, but in a good way. It was almost as if he had begun to actually _like_ her, _enjoy_ spending him with her and teasing her, and most of all, watching her dance at Joey's and _kill_. He _had_ to leave her there. As much as it honestly, _sort of_ pained him to see her lying in the street, helpless, and knowing that he was the only one who could rescue her, the need to be rid of her was greater. She was distracting, and even after she was gone these thoughts that remained were distracting. He had only taken her to be his _toy_, his prisoner who he could torture and maybe even occasionally fuck, nothing more, which she had started to become, at a rapid pace...

Joker glanced down now, noticing that the ant had finally made it to it's destination: his shoe. The ant paused just before it now, deciding what to do now that it had made it. Joker had the answer for it, however. He took in another deep drag of his cigarette before he bent down, and placed the burning end of the cigarette on the ant. He pivoted it back and forth on the helpless creature until it went out, and he tossed it into the field, nothing but a black mark left where the ant had been. Joker now stepped inside the back door of the apartment, the ant now just a memory.

He slowly walked through the halls of the old apartment, trying hard not to think about Willow. In the beginning of her sentence he had honestly considered breaking her out. It would be easy, but he just wouldn't let himself plan on it. If he did, it only meant he would be distracted again, and Willow would see it as a sign, a sign that meant something _did_ exist between the two of them, which Joker would have to prove to her that it surely did not, though he wasn't so sure himself. He figured not having Willow around would make his life easier and more carefree again, when in reality it seemed to be just the opposite...

Willow woke up the next morning feeling remarkably rested. She slowly opened her eyes, letting them adjust to the morning sunlight that flooded its way in through her tiny window, and the florescent light that shone in through the small, square barred window on her cell door. She yawned as she rolled over from her side onto her back on her cot, and she stretched her arms out as she did so, finding her right shoulder blade to be a little sore. She shrugged it off and now laid still as she stared up at the ceiling.

The last thing from the previous day she could remember was her freaking out in her doctor's office. She groaned as she recalled the experience, knowing it did nothing to help achieve her freedom, and instead only brought her that much more closer to going into a straightjacket, most likely. She sighed as she felt that painful pang go through her heart as she remembered what the doctor had been saying about the Joker. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath as she tried to clear it out of her memory. She wasn't scheduled to visit her doctor today, so she figured she'd get back on track with Jonathan's plan and take a shower, and even force herself to eat a little.

She yawned once more as she now heard footsteps all the way down the long hall, and she knew it to be a guard and some nurse making their usual morning rounds. She figured she'd get up and meet them at the door and request that yes, she would like a shower for a change, and that yes, she would like to go into the leisure room and skip breakfast, but that she would enjoy some lunch later in the day. She forced herself to sit up, and she arched her back as she did so, stretching it, before she threw the covers off her. She lazily walked over to her sink, and she leaned on it as she glared at her sleepy face in the dirty mirror. She was just about to splash cold water on her face to help her wake up more when she froze suddenly. Her breath hitched in her throat as she stared at her hair that covered her exposed shoulder, a faint, red line just under it. Her heart began to slightly race as she slowly reached up and brushed her hair off her shoulder, and her eyes immediately widened.

Her once sloppy, raised-skin scar had been replaced with a dark, red line that laid flat against her skin. She bit her lip as she traced her finger over it, sickened to find that it felt just like her skin, only a little more smoother. She stared at it, a small squeaking noise coming from her throat as she began to panic and she glanced around for a second before her eyes fell back to it. Then, a horrible thought came to mind. What about the scar on her back...? She swallowed as she lifted her shirt and she turned around, standing on her tip-toes now as she glanced behind her, and she suddenly felt like she couldn't breath. A long, deep red line in the shape of her previous scar ran itself down the length of her back, resembling the scar that was once there. Her mouth fell open as the sight of it; her scars were gone!

Willow's screams echoed out of her cell and through the hall as she slammed her hands down on the wall on either side of the mirror. Her hair stuck her face as tears fell from her eyes, and she felt that horrible pain rip through her heart again. The last memorabilia she had left of the Joker was now gone, forever. The guard the nurse now ran down the hall, passed all the other inmates, until they reached the last cell on the block. The nurse rushed along the guard as he struggled to quickly unlock the heavy door, and once it was open they ran inside.

"No! No! _No!_" Willow kept screaming as she continued to hit the wall, her hands stinging, but she ignored it. The guard brought his hands down onto her shoulders and she quickly brought both her elbows back in an attempt to get him off of her as she continued to scream and cry, unable to control the rage inside of her. The guard recovered quickly and grabbed her arms before he threw her onto her cot, Willow still thrashing around as he held her down. The last thing she saw was that stupid, somewhat frightened looking female nurse step over to her, holding a syringe in her hands. Willow closed her eyes tight and screamed as loud as she could as she felt that needle enter her arm, until suddenly all her movement and noise seized, and everything went black.

–

"Willow... _Willow_..."

Willow moaned slightly as she felt herself slowly start to wake up, and just over her she could hear a female's voice gently saying her name. She opened her eyes, her mind still slightly fuzzy, and she focused her gaze on the same nurse that had given her the sedatives.

"How are you feeling?" she cooed, and Willow squinted her eyes as her head started to hurt.

"Tired," she answered, her voice just barely above a whisper. The nurse laughed slightly. The guard behind her shifted his weight as he watched Willow while the nurse continued to study her face.

"And how do you feel about your... scars... being gone?"

Willow' breath hitched in her throat, she had nearly forgotten, but rather she forced herself to take a deep breath, and she rolled her eyes as she turned her head to the side, finally realizing she was on her cot in her cell. The nurse hummed to herself as she slowly got off her knelt position by the bed.

"I think she's calm now," she said lowly to the guard, and Willow growled to herself as she rolled her eyes. Words, screams, and body actions at this point could no longer express the deep, longing sadness and pure, Hellish anger she felt. Everyday, more and more, both of these emotions built up inside her, and she wasn't sure how much longer she could take it.

"Willow, do you want to go to the leisure area?" The nurse asked. Willow grumbled something in a low voice, the nurse forced a smile, trying to keep her patience in front of her least favorite inmate. "What?" She asked sweetly, and Willow sighed.

"Sure," she said in a monotone voice. The nurse rolled her eyes as she leaned back up, and she turned to the guard before she nodded over at Willow, signaling he should escort her over.

Willow slowly walked down the hall, the bright lights above doing nothing for her head. She saw Jonathan sitting in his usual spot, but she ignored him, not in the mood to hear any of his lectures. She made a point not to look at him as she headed straight over to the couch, and she winced as she sat down, the cushions hard as she plopped onto them. She tried to mask her anger, keeping it all inside as she looked up at the cartoon on the TV. Jonathan had turned to her, slightly confused as to why she hadn't sat with him, until he saw her flat, angry expression. He cleared his throat.

"I know what happened," he said. "Rather, I _heard_ what happened. With your doctor...?" He pushed on when she didn't answer. She continued to stare up at the TV, trying to ignore him, but rather he was just forcing her to rethink about what had happened. "Do you want to talk about it?" He asked.

"No." Willow's voice was flat as she continued to stare up at the stupid cartoon. Literally everything at this point was putting her in a very fowl mood.

"I think we have to," he said. "If you ever want to get out of here..."

Willow growled under her breath as Jonathan grinned slightly from behind her as he stared at the profile of her face.

"Or you can continue to act out," he said. "In a very childish manor, I might add. And rot here. And when I'm gone, you'll really be alone, with just your thoughts."

"Shut up," Willow said as she turned her head towards him, and she frowned even more, if it was at all possible, when she saw him just grinning at her.

"And that right there indicates that yes, you do want to talk."

Willow sighed again as she turned back to that stupid cartoon.

"A conversation with me would prove to be very enlightening and helpful. A lot more so than that silly cartoon..."

Willow was still making a point to ignore him, but of course, with her luck, a stupid clown appeared on screen, a wide, _red_ smile on its somewhat _evil_ looking face as it threw a pie at the little cartoon dog. She swallowed as she closed her eyes tight, and she saw nothing but Joker in that darkness...

Without a word she slowly stood up and walked around the couch, and she glared at Jonathan as she pulled out the chair and sat down across from him.

"So. What happened?" He asked. Willow rolled her eyes as she slouched down. She felt tears burning behind her eyes, but she did _not_ want to cry. Every time she did now she always felt exhausted, and it just gave the doctors even more reason to decide to keep her there longer. She took a deep breath.

"Just... the things he was saying about him," she said as she rose her glazed over, green eyes to Jonathan, who had his glasses on as he nodded his head. "I just couldn't take it..."

"Well," he said as he leaned in, and he took in a small but deep breath before continuing. "Every single person here has nothing but bad, or 'mean' things to say about him. It's up to you to know whats true and what's not, and since you've been around him for such a long time, you would know."

He sounded somewhat sarcastic, Willow could tell. She knew that Jonathan didn't like the Joker, and that he was one of the people who had nothing but nasty things to say about him, but Willow realized regardless he was helping her, and of course, he was right.

"And another thing, you _have_ to stop freaking out!" He said, laughing slightly as he sat back for quick second before he leaned forward again. "Literally every single time you do, it tells doctors that no, she is not showing any signs, at all, of progressing, and that yes, we do need to keep her longer. Sorry judge, but four months is simply not enough. And I can guarantee that they already think that four months isn't enough."

By now Willow looked as though she was about ready to cry again, but Jonathan pushed on, knowing she had to hear this.

"I know it's going to be hard to deal with all that time with your doctor, and continue to live in that tiny cell, but you have to pull through, and make them, and even yourself at this point, believe that you _are_ getting better. If you don't, you'll be stuck here for a long time. I won't be here forever, you know," he said. "But I'm starting to feel as though you're not even listening to my advice anyway..."

"No! I am!" Willow said quickly as she leaned in. "Really, I am," she said in a calmer voice. "I had nothing but the best intentions today," she started, her eyes wide, the tears that had been burning behind her eyes now gone. "I was going to take a shower, hang out in here, and even eat some lunch," she offered. "But then..." she bowed her head a little, suddenly remembering, again, about her scars. "But then I found out that they.. _fixed_ my scars."

"Fixed?" Jonathan asked. Willow continued to look down as she moved the right side of her already lose, baggy collar to the side, letting Jonathan look over the boring red mark that now sat on her shoulder. He removed his glasses as he leaned over the table.

"Oh, wow," he said. "Yep. They smoothed that thing right out, didn't they?"

"It's _horrible_," Willow whined as she threw her greasy hair behind her shoulder.

"Why?" Jonathan asked now as he folded his glasses, placing them on the table in front of him.

"Because, I liked them," Willow said.

"Why?" Jonathan pushed on. "My guess is that when he gave those to you, you didn't exactly want them, at the time. Correct?"

"I guess," Willow said, recalling that night, and how painful that knife had been as it ripped through her skin. She shuddered slightly as she remembered all that blood...

"So, why be sad?" He asked as he shook his head. "I mean, nothing but a bad memory comes with them. I can tell by that look on your face."

Willow sighed again as she threw her arms into the air. "Because, they just reminded me of him!" She said. "And now they're gone."

"Well guess what," Jonathan said with a grin. "Remember what I told you? How they would get rid of any physical evidence of him? Well now they're all gone." He nodded as he continued to smile at her, and Willow' mouth dropped open a little as she stared at the table. "With that out of the way, all you have to do at this point is deal with whatever hurtful words they say about him."

Willow slowly nodded, a somewhat refreshing feeling washing over her as she realized what he was saying. She looked back up to Jonathan as he started to talk.

"Now all you have to do is _stop_ those tantrums, talk to your doctors as if you're over him, and take care of yourself. If you do, these next two months will fly by."

Willow bit her tongue, unable to help but smile at him.

"Think you can?" Jonathan asked, and Willow slowly nodded. She wanted to more than anything, but she was unsure if she could...

"And don't be too sad about those scars," he consoled. "Just think, when you go back to him, I'm sure he'll be happy to give you some new ones."

Willow smiled along with him, but her mind was distant. She wasn't so sure she wanted any new ones, suddenly. It seemed as though now Joker was the one deserving of a new scar...

–

Willow walked down the hall towards her cell with the same security guard and nurse from before. She was silent as she walked, and she made a point to stare at the ground as she thought back to all that Jonathan had told her. She did desperately want to get out of Arkham, but she knew she wasn't acting like it. She finally realized it was going to take some hard work faking her way out, but what else could she do at this point?

"It's one o' clock," the nurse stated to Willow as she looked over to her. "Do you want some lunch?"

Willow licked her lips. She really, _really_ did not want to eat Arkham's horrid food, but her stomach grumbled slightly, and she tried to remember the last time she had eaten.

"Sure," Willow said in as nice as voice as she could do. The nurse was take back by this, and she smiled slightly.

"Okay," she said. "I'll have someone bring that right to you." They had reached her cell, and Willow waited for the guard to unlock the door before he opened, the door squeaking loudly, and Willow stepped inside, and she instantly headed over to her bed. The door slammed shut and she listened to the guard lock it before following the nurse.

Willow sighed as she plopped down on her bed. The collar of her shirt moved to the side, and she looked over to her shoulder, and sadly traced her finger along the red line there. She rolled her eyes now as she scooted back on the bed until her back hit the wall. She brought her knees up to her chest and she placed her arms on them, letting them dangle off as she stared at the floor. She wondered what Joker was doing; she figured at this time he was most likely out and about, finding some chaos to create. She wondered if he was perhaps with Joey, and she wondered what Joey thought about all this. She thought about the bridges, and she wondered what Gotham was doing to repair them, and whatever happened to the people who got stuck downtown. She had been so excited to see the aftermath, and laugh with Joker as they watched the news coverage, but now that dream would never come true.

Suddenly the little metal flap located in the middle of the door was dropped down, and Willow watched as someone placed a tray on it, and they pushed it forward before setting a small bottle of water behind it. They left without a word, their footsteps echoing throughout the hallway. Willow made a face as she walked towards the food, and she picked it up, staring at the broccoli, old macaroni and cheese, and stale piece of bread that sat on the metal tray. She grabbed the water and tried not to breath in the scent as she brought it back to her bed, and she set it down before sitting cross legged in front of it. She started with opening her bottle of water, and she took a small sip before she capped it, and she forked a piece of broccoli. She felt as thought she chewed it for ages until finally she swallowed it, feeling sick already. She knew this was going to be a long meal...

**Sorry for the long wait! thank you for all the reviews on the first chapter, im glad to see so many people are already with this story! keep those reviews coming!**


	3. Back To the Basics

**This one's a long one, children. So grab your blankets, get comfy on the floor, and enjoy ;)**

The next month and half seemed to fly by quickly. Willow had _finally _nailed down acting as though she was on the right track, though deep down she wasn't so sure she _was_ acting. She no longer tossed and turned at night, thinking of Joker. She no longer deeply analyzed the night he had left her. She simply had accepted that Joker was a random man, and nobody in the world would ever understand why he did the things that he did, and drew the conclusion that it was for this reason that he had left her that night. Obviously he didn't want her, so why should she waste her time wanting him?

She showered everyday, and she couldn't ever explain in words how amazing it felt to finally feel... clean again. Whenever she talked to her doctor or Jonathan, all she could do was finger strands of her hair, and run them through the long, wavy brown locks, and even toss it behind her shoulder. While she loved the feeling, she still missed the scent of her fruity and tropical shampoos. Unknowingly to her, these somewhat stunning actions always left Jon and even her doctor speechless. But while she continued to stay clean and request new clothes, she still couldn't bring herself to eat normally. The food was just _too_ disgusting, and she honestly didn't have an appetite. But once her doctor and some of the nurses realized all the progress she was making even without eating, they left the issue alone, making sure to at least ask her everyday if she would like anything.

Her doctor was stunned at how much progress she had made. It almost seemed as though she had woken up one day a new woman, which he found odd. But as she opened up and talked to him about not only Joker, but even some of her childhood, he didn't question it, and tried to help her as best as he could. Though to Willow it seemed all he did was sit there and nod, and express the occasional 'mhmm' every now and again, it felt good to finally just _talk_, out loud about her life, and she was glad he didn't really respond too much. She now verbalized her somewhat uncaring emotions towards the Joker, and told him how she was ready to move on with her life. She even told him about her uncle and the whole story behind that. Dr. Hiram had finally given up on asking Willow questions about Joker's operation, especially when he saw how well she was moving on. So rather, he paid close attention to the stories behind her uncle, unable to believe what a creep he was towards her. But to this he told her how that was the kind of person Joker was attracted to; someone who was broken, who was corruptible. This would have once set Willow off in a rage of tears, but now she realized he was actually somewhat correct with his theory.

Now Willow sat at the chess table, staring at the TV. In just one week she would finally be released, and she eagerly drummed her fingers on the table. She was proud of herself for all the progress she had made, and while she felt as though she was somewhat over Joker, she couldn't help but still think of him occasionally. It was only natural to her at this point. The truth was she had literally _nowhere _to go once she was released, and she spent a lot of time thinking about what she was going to do. Ninety percent of her figured Joker wouldn't come looking for her, and it made her slightly nervous to realize she was completely on her own now...

The door behind her opened, and Jonathan now sat down in front of her. Willow watched him as he situated himself in his chair, and he cleared his throat as he peered at her from over the ridge of his glasses.

"So you get out in one week," he stated somewhat blandly. "Excited?"

"Yeah," Willow said as she rubbed her palms over her thighs. "I'm kind of... scared though."

"Why?" Jonathan asked as he cocked an eyebrow. He seemed awfully calm and in somewhat of a bad mood, but Willow figured he was just tired.

"I don't know," she said. "Because I'm just going to be... alone, you know? Like I have to start over with nothing."

"That's good though," he said. "It's an opportunity for you to become the person you've always wanted to be."

Willow wanted to be excited over his statement, but she only frowned slightly and looked down. At this point she really didn't know who she was anymore, and she didn't know who she wanted to become.

"And you'll at least have a roof over your head," he said. "See, what they do is rent you some tiny apartment," he explained. "They pay the first month or two of your rent, and they get you a job somewhere, usually as a grocery-bagger or cart collector, something very mediocre. But it's a good start, and you can only build off from there, I suppose..."

"Really?" Willow asked. "I didn't know they did that..."

"Well, they do if you tell them you have no family around, a family that they could do an extensive background check on, anyway. Which... I'm guessing... you don't..."

"Yeah," Willow said as she raised her eyebrows before she forced a smile. "But it's probably better that way."

"Where are your parents?" Jonathan asked as he cocked his head to the side.

"Well," she said. "I don't know... my mom left when I was really, really little, and after my dad left me at my uncles, he just sort of disappeared."

"Have you ever looked into hiring an investigator to find them?"

Willow wrinkled her nose in disgust. "No," she said. "I couldn't afford that, and obviously they don't care to see me. Why should I care to see them?"

Jonathan shrugged and looked away for a moment before he cleared his throat, and an uneasy silence fell between them for a moment.

"Well, just be careful," Jonathan warned somewhat wholeheartedly as he looked at her now. He removed his glasses and used his shirt to clean off the left lens, moving his thumb and index finger in small circles. "Gotham's a pretty dangerous city, and now you don't have Joker to, well, I guess you could say 'protect' you anymore."

Willow nodded as she remained silent.

–

Joker audibly sighed as he opened the door to Line of Jewels. Music blared as he scanned all the stages, his eyes wandering lazily over all the dancers. Nothing seemed to catch his interest, and he made his way passed the tables and headed through the curtain of the private room. A few people stopped and nervously stared, but he ignored them and started up the stairs towards Joey's office.

The door was shut, as always, and Joker left three heavy knocks on the dark wooden door. He waited as he stared at the gold colored handle, before he heard it rattle and the door opened. Joey paused from behind the door, and he rose an eyebrow as he stared at Joker, Joker absentmindedly staring back.

"Um, hey?" Joey half asked as he opened the door more. "Whats... up?"

Joker opened his mouth to speak, but his breath hitched in his throat. Suddenly he wasn't so sure why he had come. He had just been in his apartment, idly watching TV as Loc blasted some sort of music from below him, making Joker realize how badly he wanted to get out of the house.

"I was uh... bored?" Joker asked, and Joey laughed at this and he stepped aside to let his friend inside.

"Obviously," he mumbled once his laughter had died down. He closed his door behind him. "You want a drink?"

"Sure," Joker said in a flat voice.

Naturally Joey reached for his favorite rum, and he poured himself and Joker half a small glass after he put ice in them.

"How have things... been?" He asked as he handed Joker his glass, Joker instantly taking a large sip from it. Joker shrugged as he nodded his head, moving it side to side.

"Fine," he answered, feeling somewhat awkward, but he shrugged the feeling off, though he couldn't help but still wonder why, exactly, he had come. He knew Joey _assumed_ that he came to talk about Willow, which, on the surface, hadn't been Joker's intentions. But now he had gotten himself stuck.

Joey cleared his throat as he leaned against his desk, leaving Joker to walk over to the couch, where he set his glass down before he shrugged of his coat, keeping his gloves on, and he placed it carefully on the couch.

"So... Willow gets out in a week, right?" Joey asked as casually as he could.

"Does she?" Joker asked in a bit of a louder voice as he picked up his glass. "I uh, haven't been keeping track."

This was probably the biggest lie he had told in a while. Despite him trying to convince himself he didn't care, he had always kept track of her time in Arkham in the back of his mind since day one.

"Yeah," Joey said. "This coming Thursday." He took another sip as he watched his friend lean against the arm of the couch, idly swishing around his drink in his glass as he stared at it. Joey nodded his head to the faint beat of the music he could hear below them, until finally he couldn't hold his question in any longer. "What are you going to do when she's out?"

Joker slowly raised his eyes up to him and glared, before he lowered them back down. He growled slightly, and Joey knew he had somewhat upset him with the question, but he had to know. He could also tell how bothered Joker had been. Granted he hadn't seen him in person over the passed few months, there was absolutely no coverage of Joker on the news. Only outdated comments on the bridge innocent and Willow being shut away in Arkham, and the incident leading up to it, as well as her court cases.

"Nothing," Joker finally forced himself to say, and he cleared his throat, now cursing to himself in his head for how that sounded; so forced, so... untrue. It angered him to realize how _hard_ he had to try to sound uninterested, and he got even more angry at himself for realizing that he _had_ to try.

"Really?" Joey asked as he lowered his head, frowning. "You and I _both_ know that's not true, bro."

"What am I supposed to do, Joey?" Joker finally said as he raised his free hand to the air before he let his drop down to hit his side. "I can't just... just go _find _her." He leaned over and stared at Joey in the eye as he held his hand out to side as if making a point. "I don't _want_ to. I don't _want_ her around me."

"Can I be honest with you?" Joey asked somewhat randomly as he set his drink down.

"No," Joker said flatly as he took another sip of his drink.

"Okay, well," Joey went on anyway. "I have a question first..."

Joker rolled his eyes as he took an ice cube into his mouth, and he nosily bit down on it.

"Why can't you just... be honest with yourself?" Joey asked as he crossed his arms, his leather pants shining in the light next to him. "You're already chaotic life would go smoother if you were."

Joker raised his eyes to him and wrinkled his nose as he frowned.

"What _exactly_ do you mean, _Joseph?" _

Joey frowned at him. "Dude, it's obvious. And you know it."

"I don't know _what_ your talking about..." Joker started as he looked away. Joey rolled his eyes now as he sighed in an irritated manner.

"Man, you miss her." Joey swallowed, nervous as to what Joker would do upon hearing these words, but Jack had to hear it. It was painfully obvious, and he couldn't stand to see his friend deny it any longer.

"_Miss_ her?" Joker asked as he narrowed his eyes at him, and he leaned forward as he took a step towards Joey. Joey held his ground, his arms still crossed, and he nodded once. Joker sighed loudly to himself, and he couldn't help but grin slightly as he shook his head, picturing himself strangling Joey for even thinking that.

"See what I mean about not being honest with yourself? Jack, _you_ know it, _I_ know it. Fuck, even _Gotham_ knows it!"

Joker remained quiet as he looked at his friend who had uncrossed his arms and leaned forward now.

"You haven't done _anything_ in the passed three months. And that's incredibly odd for you, and you know that. There's only been two reported people missing, one found dead, which I'll assume was you, but for what reason? To keep yourself busy? You'll kill me for saying this, but admit it. You _felt_ something for that girl, man. And I'm not talking about strong dislike, it was something more. So of _course_ you're going to pathetically mope around your damn apartment, Jack, and that's really unlike you. You fucking left her dude, just laying there," Joey recalled from what he had heard on the news from a police officer that had been on the scene. "When she needed you the most, you left her. And obviously you _do_ feel something for her, otherwise you wouldn't be so deep in regret right now. Just fucking accept this and move on."

With that Joey leaned back against the desk and crossed his arms, and he watched Joker's still frame before he grinned slightly and rolled his eyes towards the ceiling.

"Okay," Joker finally admitted, feeling lightheaded. "You caught me," he said in a raspy voice, feeling almost slightly embarrassed. "I _regret_ what I did. And I don't fucking regret things, Joey, you know that." Joker sighed as he shook his head. "But what am I _supposed_ to do, hmm? Go- go _find_ her? And do what? _Apologize?_ Am I supposed to _break down_ in front of her, get on my knees and _beg_ her forgiveness?"

Joey swallowed nervously as he switched his weight from side to side before he sat all the way now on his desk.

"It doesn't matter," Joker said as he turned his back to him as he threw his hand back as if tossing something away. "The damn _lunatics_ there have already brainwashed her," he guessed. "It's a lost cause."

"You don't know that," Joey said. "Willow's not an idiot, and man I saw the way she'd look at you. And..." he started to laugh as he shook his head. "The things she'd say about you to the other chicks. Like a fucking little girl with a crush, man."

Joker raised an eyebrow, but kept his back turned to Joey.

"Always saying how you weren't _that_ bad of a guy when alone, and that you were actually sort of..." Joey giggled again. "Sweet?"

Now Joker tightly closed his eyes as he breathed out of his nose. She did _not_ say that, he thought to himself. How could she? But he took a deep breath, deciding that _maybe_ this was good for his... chances. And if he ever saw her again, he'd have to have a little talk about her terrible choice of words to describe him. He did not need the word 'sweet' to be listed under his reputation. Joey could sense how annoyed Joker was as he continued to laugh.

"No one believed her, dude," he assured, his eyes squinted as he laughed. "And no one ever will. Though obviously now..."

"Shut _up_," Joker commanded as he slowly turned around. He licked his lips slowly before he bit down on both of his scars. "I do not _care_ for Willow, and I do not _like_ Willow," he started. "And I will never, ever admit that I _feel_ something for her," he forced himself to say through gritted teeth. "_But_..." he started up again, "this gets out to _no one_," he warned as he finally looked at Joey once he had taken a step closer to him. "I'm not above killing a _friend_," he added with a clownly grin, and Joey just grinned back, proud of himself for being right and making _The Joker_ realize it.

"Secret's safe with me," Joey said truthfully. Joker glared at him a moment longer before he growled.

"Whatever happens, _happens_," he continued now. "I'm not going to waste my time with finding her, because for the _most_ part... I don't want to. In fact, the further away she is from me, the better."

Joey continued to smirk at him as he nodded.

"She was... distracting, Joey, you don't understand... and wipe that _damn_ smirk off your face!" Joker commanded again, and Joey only grinned wider, holding back the roar of laughter he wanted to let out. Joker shook his head as he mumbled something to himself about Joey being an idiot and an asshole as he went about collecting his coat.

"I mean it," Joker said once he put his coat on and he had reached the door. "Not. A. Word."

And with that he tossed open the door and let it slam behind him, Joey listening to him pound his feet heavily down the stairs. Joey continued to grin as he finished off the last of the rum in his glass, knowing he was the only person in the world right now who knew, and would ever know, Joker's deep, dark secret...

–

At long last the day had arrived. Willow's last week had gone painfully slow, and it felt as though more time had passed her by in a week than it ever had a month. She now stood in the front building of Arkham in one of the main reception areas, and she crossed her arms, trying to somewhat hide her appearance. She was clad in the clothes she had worn the night of blowing the bridges: black tank top, black, ripped stripper shorts, and those damn flip flops. She felt embarrassed and somewhat uneasy about wearing them, but it wasn't like she had a choice, and this made her doctor upset, since he had spent so much time trying to lead Willow's mind away from it all. She was also baffled at the amount of weight she had lost; her shorts were loose around her hips and her shirt no longer fit snugly around her middle.

"Well, here we go," the lady behind the desk said as she approached Willow from the back room. "Your release papers." She smiled at Willow before she looked up at her doctor.

"I know the deal," he said jokingly before the lady could speak. He winked at Willow before he leaned down, quickly flipping through the papers, signing his name on the provided lines, before he passed over the stack to Willow.

"I need you sign on each line where marked," the lady started as she tucked a strand of her white hair behind her ear. "Date where provided, and initial all down here, and," she flipped ahead three pages, "here."

Willow swallowed nervously as she bent down awkwardly, making sure to keep her pants as low on her waist as she could so her ass wouldn't show beneath them. It seemed as though it took an eternity, but finally a good five minutes later she had finished all the signing, dating, and initialing, and she smiled slightly as she slid the stack of paper back towards the old lady.

"And Dr. Hiram and Mr. Arkham himself did go over the living arrangements, correct?" The old lady asked, and Willow nodded. "Okay," she said. "There's a bus outside that will drive you into town, and drop you off at Berkshire," she explained anyway. "Talk to the desk clerk, Ron, he'll fill you in on everything you want to know from there." She smiled widely. "Good luck, Willow," she said. "And congratulations."

Willow tried hard not to smirk as she started away from the desk, and she turned towards her doctor, and he stood proudly before her, his hands on his hips.

"Well," he said. "Think you can handle it out there?"

"I think so," Willow said as she forced a smile, truthfully just _really_ wanting to leave. She exchanged a few more words with her doctor before she finally shook his hand, and finally, after what seemed like years, she took her first step outside of Arkham's main doors.

A cold breeze of air instantly blew passed her, and she shivered slightly, finally realizing she had completely missed Gotham's warm summer completely. She frowned slightly as she started towards the bus, her hair flowing behind her wildly, until it seemed to finally hit her; she was _released_. She was _free_.

On the way into town she thought about her last conversation with Jonathan, though it had been a week ago. Unfortunately, even with her all her progress, some real and some fake, she couldn't help but wonder if Joker even wondered if she had been released. She almost, _almost_ wanted to see him at these apartments, secretly waiting for her I the shadows, but she shook the thought out of her mind, reminding herself it was useless to even think of his name.

A good hour later, the bus finally stopped in front of the small apartments. Willow's heart pounded against her chest, and she swallowed the lump that had risen in her throat. She looked out the window at the old, somewhat run down building, and she felt a tad lightheaded. Once the bus doors had opened she forced herself up and walked slowly off the bus and onto the sidewalk. Without a word the bus driver closed the door and took off, and just like that, Willow was all alone, again.

She continued to frown as she stood still on the sidewalk in the front of the building. The sky above threatened rain and the wind blew passed her. She continued to stare up at the building, noticing how badly in need it was of a new paint job, and she tried to picture herself living here. She pictured using the old, crappy furniture inside, and she wondered how many other inmates, both from Arkham _and_ jail had resided in her room. She tried to picture herself getting up every morning to do a job she'd know she hate, and she tried to picture herself talking to new people, and making new friends. But the longer she thought, the more she realized she wasn't capable of any of this, and she didn't want any of it, for that matter. Her eyes burned as tears threatened to fall passed, and she sniffled them back as she hung her head. What was she to do?

She swallowed back the lump that had risen in her throat, again, as a tear finally slid down her cheek. In Arkham during her last few weeks she had felt pretty strong, so sure, for the most part, of having a new life. But now, standing in front of her pathetic future, she felt like she couldn't handle it, and didn't want it. She needed to be surrounded by the familiar...

It was because of this reason she wiped away the second tear that had fallen as she started in towards the building. The old man behind the desk, Ron, smiled at her. He noticed the red lined around her eyes, but he continued to smile. He had seen a lot of people walk through those doors, and he knew it was never easy.

"Are you Willow Fox?" He asked as nicely as he could to her. "I saw the bus and we've been expecting you."

Willow felt lightheaded again as she forced a small smile.

"Um, yeah," she said.

"Well I have your key right here," Ron started. "Room number-"

"Do you have a phone book?" Willow interrupted as she leaned slightly on the light brown desk, eagerly looking into his gray eyes. He paused for a moment, confused, before he cleared his throat.

"Yes," he said as he reached down, and he pushed across a giant phone book towards her. "The phone's right over there if you-"

"Thank you," Willow said as she grabbed the heavy phone book, and she made a beeline towards the corded phone. She sat down on the chair next to the end table the phone sat on in the lobby, and she set the book on her tiny lap before she flipped it open. Ron watched as Willow flipped though the pages vigorously, her head moving side to side, up and down as she looked for whatever it was she was looking for. At long last, she had found the number, and with a shaky hand she picked up the white phone and dialed.

"Line of Jewels Gentleman's Club," some woman started after four rings.

"Hi, um... is... Joey there...?" Willow asked slowly, tripping over her words and stuttering, and she closed her eyes tight, realizing how pathetic and desperate she sounded. But then again, she was... The line was quiet for moment before she heard the girl sigh.

"One minute," she breathed, and Willow heard her set the phone down. She waited, feeling Ron staring at her, and she was breathless once she heard Joey's soft yet rough voice answer.

"This is Joey," he said.

"Hey, uh... it's me. Willow," she said in a small voice, and that lump rose in her throat yet again as she waited it seemed for minutes on end for Joey to say something.

"Oh, hey," he said sounding somewhat causal, but unknown to Willow he looked as though he had seen a ghost as he shifted his weight anxiously. "You got released today," he stated the obvious, unsure of what else to say. He was completely baffled by her call.

"Yeah," Willow said. "I _really_ hate to ask this, but can you... I mean..." Willow wasn't sure what she was trying to say. "See there's this apartment that the inmates are supposed to stay at..." she felt her eyes burn again and she found it hard to speak as she started to get choked up, but she did _not_ want Joey to hear her cry, and she tried as hard as she could not to. She had never felt so confused and so helpless in her life. "And, I can't..." she tried to force herself to say, her voice high and squeaky. On the other end of the line Joey frowned as he stared at the floor, it somewhat paining him to hear her sound so sad. It was eerie hearing her voice, in real time, for the first time in months, and he himself wasn't so sure what to say. He was slightly confused, thinking that maybe Willow wouldn't want contact with everyone she knew pre-Arkham so quickly, especially the day she had gotten out. He cleared his throat now as he stood up straight.

"Do you want me to come get you?" He offered. He didn't know what else to say or do, and his eyebrows furrowed as he waited for a response, and he ran his hand over his bald head. He wasn't sure if it was the right thing to do, instantly rush her back into everything so quickly, even just by helping her out. But what else could he do? Joker wouldn't have to exactly know...

Willow took a deep breath now as she raised her eyes towards the ceiling, still trying hard not to burst out in tears. "I couldn't ask that," she started. "I don't even know why I-"

"You don't have to," Joey said. "Give me the name of the apartments."

Willow remained quiet trying to think it over, but all her fuzzy mind would allow her to do was tell him the name.

"Berkshire Apartments," she said. "I-I don't know where it is..."

"It's fine," Joey said. "I'll have to take a ferry though since your-" he stopped mid-joke, quickly realizing that joking about the Joker wasn't the best thing to do right now. "I'll try to be there within three hours. Think you can wait 'till then?" His tone was all business again.

"Yeah," Willow said as she nodded her head. "Yeah," she repeated.

"Alright then," Joey said. He sounded irritated to Willow, and she wanted to cry at the thought of being such a burden already.

"Thank you," she said as sincerely as she could.

"Hey, it's okay," Joey said. "I'll be there in a bit." And on this last word, he hung up, leaving the line dead. Willow sniffled as she hung up the phone, and she slowly closed the book before she walked back up to the desk.

"Is everything okay?" Ron asked as he frowned, and Willow nodded, the urge to cry slightly going away, inch by inch now that she knew Joey was on his way.

"Yeah," Willow said. "I have other arrangements, though," she said nervously at Ron, and he frowned even more.

"Other arrangements?" He asked. "I don't, well... I don't know if the asylum would..." he tripped over his words, and Willow found it hard to believe that no one else had ever opted out of the pre-determined living arrangements that the doctors just _assumed_ were okay. No matter what the man told her, Willow knew she was not going to stay here, she was going with Joey either way. Suddenly she regretted even telling the man this, and she wondered what would have happened if she just didn't say anything.

"Released inmates can't just up and leave," he finally told her. "Mr. Arkham wants to be sure they don't instantly enter a... relapse?" He said slowly. "Who were you on the phone with?"

"An old friend," Willow said. "I've know hi- _her_ since I was in high school."

Ron continued to frown at her, unsure of whether he should believe her or not. He recognized her, Dr. Hiram himself had told him all about her, and something in the back of his mind told him she was lying.

"And where does she live?" Ron pushed on. Willow opened her mouth to speak, but no words came. "Look," he said. "I'm sorry, but I can't have you leave. You're going to need to call your doctor if you want to arrange for-"

"Okay," Willow said, her mind instantly turned upside down. "Just forget it. Can I get the key?" She started into Ron's eyes as she placed her hand on her hip, and he stared back before he nervously bent down and handed her the key to room thirty three. Without a word Willow took the key and started towards the crappy stairs and she quickly walked up them.

After a short trip down the hallway, the floor full of crumbs and trash, she finally reached the door. She angrily pushed the key in and turned it, the door clicking before she pulled the key out and pushed the door open.

The tiny apartment smelled like a dirty diaper as she walked inside, and she frowned, wanting to cry again. Did the doctors even _know_ how terrible this place was?

_ No_, she thought to herself. There was no way in Hell she was staying here. She gently closed the door behind her, scowling at the stains on the carpet and the walls, and she wondered how dirty her tiny bed, that was barely a step up from the cots at Arkham, was. She spotted a white envelope on the desk, and she walked over to it, looking out the window and down towards the street before she opened it.

It was a letter written by someone from Arkham, explaining which grocery store she was to work at and at what time, and doing what. Enclosed inside the envelope was a pre-paid bus card, but she paid no attention to this as she threw the letter into the trash on the side of the desk. Barely able to breath now she instantly turned and walked out of the room, leaving the key on the desk. She closed her door behind her and glanced down either side of the hallway. Nothing on Earth could make her live there, and no force could drive her to do what Arkham had arranged for her to do with the beginning of her new life. She didn't necessarily want to go to Joker, that hadn't been the reason she had called Joey. She needed a familiar face, a familiar place to go where she felt safe, at least, and at the moment she was feeling low enough to even admit that if she had to, she would have even called Loc...

She walked down the hall now in search of a back staircase so she could secretly exit the building. She figured Ron, or some other apartment worker would be up to check on her since she had left Ron so hastily and angrily, and her heart started to nervously pound again. She walked all through the halls until finally she came across an old, metal door with a small 'exit' sign above it. She threw it open and started down the narrow and steep stairs until she finally reached another metal door, and she opened it, relived when the cold Gotham air blew in her face.

She quickly exited the building and started down the street and she crossed it. She looked around frantically; she had to stay close so she could see when Joey arrived, but she couldn't risk letting anyone from the apartment see her. She noticed a laundromat across the street and down a little from Berkshire, and she headed towards the building.

Nobody even looked at her as she walked inside, regardless of what she was wearing, and she sat down in one of the chairs across from the tinted windows. She looked anxiously out of them before she picked up a magazine, her plan being to just wait inside until she spotted Joey...

–

Willow had just finished looking through her sixth Home and Garden magazine when she glanced out the window, and her heart froze for a second. She saw Joey walking up the hill, clad in his famous and normal attire: black muscle shirt and dark pants. She swallowed nervously before she threw the magazine down and she up and leaned out of the doorway, a fat lady staring at her from behind as she folded a pair of giant pants.

"Joey!" Willow called to him. Joey continued to walk towards the apartment but his head snapped over to across the street, and for a second he felt as though he couldn't breath once he saw her. He confusedly looked from Berkshire back over to Willow before he crossed the street, and he walked inside the laundromat as Willow backed away from the open door. They both stared at each other, unsure of what to say. She appeared the same yet so different to Joey. Her hair was a little longer, her face was the same though it wore non of her usual make-up, and he noticed how incredibly skinny she looked. He also recognized those shorts from his club... But regardless, he cleared his throat finally to break the silence.

"Hi," Willow finally said, and she smiled slightly as Joey grinned.

"Hey," he said, his grin fully stretched out now. "How's it... goin'?"

"Okay," Willow said, her smile still stuck on her face. She had no idea that it would feel this _good_ and _comforting_ to be standing there with Joey, and she had never appreciated him more than she did now for being in her life. Her stomach fluttered, a feeling she had experienced in a long time, as she anticipated going with him back to his club. She wasn't sure where she would stay, but at least seeing Joey, and knowing he was there to help, calmed her more than anything else could at this point.

"Thank you," she finally said. "Like really, I don't know what I-"

"It's cool," Joey said as he reassuringly placed his hand on the top of her back, right in between her shoulder blades. "I would have been surprised if you didn't call."

He smiled at her and Willow smiled back up at him, and they both started outside. Willow walked down the street passed Berkshire on his left so she wouldn't be seen by Ron, and finally she felt like she could breath once the apartments had disappeared behind them.

Willow was surprised to see that Joey had taken a bus from the ferry, he didn't seem like the bus type, and after waiting for a good twenty minutes, they finally boarded. She followed Joey all the way to the back of the bus and she sat down on the aisle seat next to him and deeply sighed.

"What's wrong?" Joey asked as he frowned at her, and Willow looked over to him as the bus started down the street.

"Nothing," she said, her eyes widening slightly. "It just feels so good to be... out."

"Yeah, I bet," Joey said as he nodded slightly. Joey had so many questions buzzing around in his head, as did Willow, but Joey didn't want to bring around any awkwardness or unwanted tears, and Willow was scared of the answers she'd receive. So rather they both sat in the silence for a good five minutes until Joey turned back to her.

"Hey," he started. "I don't know what your plans are, but you can stay in Jack's old apartment at the club, if you want..."

Willow stared at the seat in front of her. It felt good to be told she had a place to stay, but Joker's old apartment? She had always wanted to go in there, but now she felt as though it wasn't a good time. But where else _would_ she go?

"Yeah," Willow said. "Thanks," she added slowly as she forced a smile.

"I mean, Jack's shit is still in there," he said. "And I don't go in there much, ya feel me?"

"Yeah," Willow said. "I get it."

"Sorry to mention... him... but-"

"It's okay," Willow said quickly as she looked up to look into his dark eyes. "I mean, his name is bound to come up," she explained. "And I'm sure he's been to the club..." she added and she rolled her eyes as she looked away. Joey knew how she meant that, and it was at the tip of his tongue to tell her what had happened just a week prior, but he forced himself, as hard as it was, to hold it back. "... but I don't care," Willow went on. "I'm over it."

Joey could tell by her tone that clearly, she wasn't, but he didn't want to be the one to bring to it up. In truth, he didn't want to be the one she'd talk to about it with, either.

"So, about rent..." Willow started, and Joey looked over to her. "I can pay it, if you want."

"You don't have to," Joey said.

"No, I want to," Willow stated back.

"Okay," Joey finally said as he shrugged. "You can start dancing again immediately, but I don't think we should rush into your-"

"Actually," Willow started. "I... don't want to dance..."

"Why?" Joey instantly asked as he turned his whole body towards her now. "Tell me you're kidding, baby," he said, and Willow couldn't help but smile. Now _this_ was the Joey she knew. Loud, spoke the first thing that was on his mind, and uncaring. Not all quiet and uneasy.

"You're the best dancer I got!"

"I know," Willow started. "Wait... really?" She asked and her eyes widened as she looked up to Joey, who chuckled.

"Fuck yeah," he said. "I don't lie."

Willow smiled. She had always thought Joey just said that because she was with Joker. While this compliment made her feel good, she still felt unsure about it.

"Thank you," she said. "But I just... I don't want to dance. At least right now," she added as Joey stared at her with a small but noticeable scowl on his face. "I want to still work at the club though. Is there anything else I can do?"

"Man," Joey started as he bowed his head for a short second before he looked back to her. "You're _killin' _me, girl." He thought for a moment, and Willow waited anxiously. "Bartender?" he said. "Do you have any experience?"

Willow slowly shook her head, and the thought of working with the current bartender there, Britney, made her skin crawl. She severely disliked her. But it beat anything else at this point.

"Britney could show you the ropes," he said. "It's easy once you get used to it. I'll tell ya though, you won't make _nearly_ as much as you were. You'll make enough for the rent and have a little extra, but that ain't sayin' much..."

"It's fine," Willow said. "Thank you."

"No problem," Joey said. "But we _gotta_ get you back to dancin', girl. The club needs you!"

All Willow could do was smile as she rolled her eyes, and she turned away from him to look out the window. Finally, it felt as though she was on her way _home_.

–

After a walking a short quarter mile from the bus stop, they had finally reached the overly crowded docks. Willow followed Joey, weaving passed all the people, and she realized that the aftermath of Joker's destruction of the bridges was still pretty heavy. Then again, she knew it would take_ long_ time to repair them.

"Looks like it'll only be about a twenty minute wait," Joey said as he walked back to Willow, who had taken a seat on a bench as he went to check the schedule.

"That's good," Willow said as she nervously glanced around. It was crazy how many people were staring at her.

"Do you think they all recognize me?" She asked as she stood up next to Joey now, taking her ticket from him, and he glanced around for a moment before he looked down to her.

"Yeah," he said. "You were all over the news, a _fuck ton_." he said. "And that outfit you _stole_ looks pretty good, too," he added with a wink, and Willow laughed slightly. It sounded weird to her, she hadn't laughed – a _real_ laugh – in a long time. "Which is real good for me, being seen with _you," _he added sarcastically. Willow grinned slightly as she rolled her eyes, but she realized he was right. "So when we get back into town, keep it on the down low, right?" He commanded as he leaned in closer to her. "Because we, or, _I_ don't need people knowing where you are. It won't end well."

"Yeah," Willow agreed. "Especially since I totally suck out of that apartment." She grinned proudly up at him, and couldn't help but think, in the back of her mind, how maybe somewhat proud that would have made Joker.

"You _what_?" He asked as he looked down to her again, his dark eyebrows raised. Willow frowned as she looked at him.

"H-he said released inmates couldn't just, not stay there," she explained. "They have to talk it over with their doctor. So I... left?"

Joey sighed as he shook his head.

"Figures," he said, only to grin a second later. Of course Jack would have rubbed off on her like that, even if just slightly.

"You should have _seen_ it in there, Joey," she went onto explain. "It was terrible. I don't even know if the doctors know how bad it is."

"They probably do," Joey stated as he nodded. "See, what they want is for all those inmates to come _back_." Willow gave him a confused stare, so he explained further. "They want you to start with a shitty life outside of their gates. That way when you break down, they have another excuse to take you back in."

"Sounds like a lot of trouble," Willow said as Joey stared at some blond that walked by. "Couldn't they just lie and say people need to be there longer than what was arranged?"

"Yeah, but where's the fun in that?" Joey asked, and Willow rolled her eyes. "You were good to call me," he said seriously now as he looked back towards her. "Despite what the doctors there tried to convince you, most likely."

Willow didn't say anything as she looked away. Truthfully, doctors hadn't really convinced her anything. She pretended that they had, pretending to suddenly _hate_ the Joker, never think about him, and want to be as far away from him as possible and everything she had once known with him. When in reality he was still priority in her mind, and she just couldn't bring herself to say she hated him, even though there was times where she did feel over him. But she hated how he had left her, and she still didn't understand it, but she figured she'd never have the chance to. But still, as she had found out beside that, Joker was still an okay guy, behind all the craziness and chaos. Joey took her looking away as some sort of deep awkward sadness, and he cleared his throat.

"I won't say anything to Jack," he offered, and Willow looked back over to him. "I mean, if you don't want. You know, it's probably best he just doesn't know," Joey rattled on.

"Yeah," Willow said, feeling that lump rise in her throat. She didn't necessarily want to see Joker, she was angry at him, after all, but hearing Joey say he was going to keep everything a secret somewhat saddened Willow. It was almost as if she wanted to be _forced_ to see him...

They were both quiet as they now started walking towards the archway that served as the entrance to board the trolly. They stopped now in the long line, and Willow watched as Joey looked around before he suddenly stood still, something catching his attention. She rolled her eyes as she looked behind her, figuring it was some girl again, when she saw that his line of sight was looking directly at a hotdog stand. She looked back over to him, her stomach suddenly grumbling.

"Hey, do you want a-"

"Yes!" Willow said, and she instantly felt her face redden. "I mean, uh. Sure."

Joey stared at her for a moment, an eyebrow arched before he finally started over towards the stand without a word. Willow watched his broad, muscular back as he conversed with the man behind the stand, and Willow grinned when she realized he hadn't even bothered asking what she wanted on it. But at this point, she didn't care. She was _starving_ and one hundred percent eager to eat _real_ food.

Joey started back to her a moment later, holding in each hand a hotdog inside a thin piece of white and red checkered paper. "Got the classics," Joey stated somewhat proudly once he had reached her. Willow eyed his left hand hungrily as he started to lower it towards her. "Ketchup and mustard, that's gonna have to be-"

He was interrupted by Willow snatching the classic American snack out of his hand, and without thinking she took a large and somewhat sloppy bite. It wasn't until she felt ketchup lingering on the corner of her lip she she finally lower the hotdog, and she guiltily looked up at Joey. He cocked an eyebrow at her, slightly confused and taken off by her act, but for a split second he couldn't help but feel the urge to kneel down and lick the ketchup off of her lips. He blinked slowly as Willow started to explain herself.

"Sorry," she started as she used the paper the hotdog had come in as a napkin, and she wiped the condiment from her face. "I barely ate in Arkham."

Joey had barely heard her, for his mind had continued to wander, until finally he forced himself out of his daze. "Why?"

"The food was _terrible_," Willow said. "I rarely ate," she repeated.

"Yeah, I can tell," Joey said as he finally took a bite of his own hotdog.

"These clothes don't even fit," Willow went on to complain now. Joey nodded, forcing himself not to let his eyes wander down her body, and instead turned away slightly, pretending to look out over the water.

The ride on the trolly had been simple and short, and now Willow felt as though she was having a hard time keeping up with Joey as he made his way through the masses of people towards the parking lot where he had left his car.

"Listen," he started once Willow had approached him. "Keep it on the down _low_," he said. "Just keep your head down," he continued.

Willow listened and she bowed her head slightly, not making eye contact with anyone, though as she continued to quickly walk with Joey, she wished she had different clothes that weren't so... attention grabbing.

At long last they had finally reached Joey's beautiful black Camaro. He quickly unlocked it and got inside, leaving Willow to open the passenger side door. She got in as quickly as Joey did and she let out a sigh of relief once she shut the door, noticing how darkly tinted all the windows were. She allowed herself to sink down in the cool, black leather seat as Joey started the car, the engine roaring to life, and with a swift jerk of his arm to the side, he spun the car around and quickly took off out of the parking lot and onto the main road while Willow clutched onto the door. She should have know Joey would be a crazy driver...

Willow allowed herself to look all around his car. The interior was all different shades of black and gray, and completely spotless. She felt as though she couldn't touch anything, let alone sit in it. She looked back into the backseat, finding a single leather jacket laying on the seat in the middle. Other than that, there were no stray objects.

Joey didn't speak a single word as he sped down the street, one hand clutching the top of the wheel while the other held the shifter. He had a somewhat angry look on his face, but Willow recognized that as the same look Joker wore when he drove. She turned her head away and looked out the window at all the buildings and people whooshing by, and she couldn't help but wonder what Joker was doing, or where he was. It was about three thirty in the afternoon, but she couldn't think of anything particular thing he'd be doing. She once had always been watching TV at this time while Joker hid away in his office or room, so she figured he was most likely doing that now as well.

Raindrops dripped onto the windshield now, and Willow idly watched as one ran down the length of it. Finally she recognized the area they were in, for she had taken the route every time she drove to work. Rain started to fall heavier from the clouds until it was suddenly pouring just as they pulled into the parking lot. Joey parked his car right in the front by the door and without a word they both got out and rushed to it. Willow threw it open and held it open for Joey, but the quickness was useless; she was soaked, as was Joey. She grinned slightly at him as water from her hair dripped onto the floor, and a few of the guests turned and looked over to them, eying Willow, naturally. It felt so odd being back in the club, and she took a moment to glance around. Everything seemed exactly as it had been before she left, and she smiled at this, loving that feeling of familiarity.

Joey had started off towards what she assumed was his office, and she followed closely behind him. Her shorts started to fall from her hips and she quickly brought her hands to the top of them and held them in place. Joey tossed back the curtain, and a few of the girls who had been currently giving lap dances all froze once they saw Willow. Willow stared back at them as their look of shock turned into scowls, and she grinned slightly at them, glad to see she was still so intimidating to the other girls. She climbed the stairs behind Joey and waited as he unlocked his office door, and she followed him inside, closing it behind her. Just as she turned a white towel was thrown at her, and she caught it before she glanced up at Joey and watched as he rubbed his face with a matching one. She undid the folding and she held it to her own face before she ruffled it through her hair, then proceeded to pat her clothes with it.

"Alright, lemme find that key..." Joey started to trail off as he headed to his desk. "You want a drink?" He suddenly asked as he turned, pointing at her.

"No, thanks," Willow said as she rolled her eyes. Joey quickly went on to make himself a quick a drink, and he took a sip as he headed over to his giant desk again. He unlocked one of the drawers on it with another key from his keyring and he shuffled around some of the objects for a moment before he finally closed it. Willow watched as he started towards her, something gleaming in his hand, and once he approached her, she realized it was a key.

"Here ya go," he said. Willow slowly took it, her eyes wide as she eyed it, having a hard time believing she was actually going to stay where Joker had once lived. She followed Joey as he walked passed his desk and further into his office until they turned the corner, and there it was. Willow stared at the dark wooden door in front of her. She swallowed as she stared at it until she finally took a step forward. She felt lightheaded as she put the key in the handle and she turned it, the door clicking softly. She hesitated before she finally pushed the door open.

She slowly stepped into the small apartment room, her feet now on old, hardwood floors, and Joey lingered in the doorway behind her. Willow snapped on the light beside her before she looked all around the room, taking everything in. Directly in front of her a good distance away sat a small, white, lone sink and a mirror directly above it. To the right she eyed a small kitchen, all the appliances painted a faded brown color. To the right of the sink was another small door that she figured was the bathroom, and in front of that a small living room area, the couch of choice a dark green color. Directly next to her on her right sat a queen sized bed, the bed spread a dark green hue, much like the couch. Willow swallowed; she felt as though she shouldn't be in the room. There was something eerie about it, like the vibe was off. Joey thought the same thing, he always had ever since Joker had left the place, and he didn't bother walking inside.

"Um," he started as he leaned off the wooden door frame now. "I don't have a spare key for my office..."

"It's fine," Willow said, not bothering to turn to him, and she took another step into the room. "I don't have anywhere to go anyway."

"Alright," Joey said as he placed his hand on the handle of the door. "Is this gonna be okay?"

"Yeah," Willow said as she finally turned to him. "Thank you, so much."

"Not a problem," Joey said. "Come downstairs when you're ready so you can get re-acquainted with Britney, right?"

"Okay," Willow said, and she turned back around once Joey had closed the door. She glanced down at the little silver key in her hand before she placed it on the brown end table beside the bed. She ran her hand over the smooth comforter as she ventured in further to the room. The hardwood floor was dark and squeaky, and a little dusty, but this was to be expected, seeing as how no one had inhabited the place for a while. Willow swallowed as she continued to slowly walk inside further, and she glanced up at the white ceiling. She had reached the random sink and mirror and she paused by it. Her feet now stood on a dark blue rug, and she placed her hands on the front lip of the sink as she looked into the mirror. She stared at her bare reflection before she reached out to the mirror, noticing that it was actually a small medicine cabinet. She slowly opened it, the cabinet bare save for one, stray object, and Willow narrowed her eyes on it on the top shelf. She reached up towards it without thinking, and she touched her finger tips on the wooden handle as she strained to slide it closer to her. Finally she grabbed the object and she brought it down, only to gasp loudly and toss it away from her. The object landed with a loud _thunk!_ in the sink, and her heart raced as she leaned over to peer down at it.

She saw that she had reached down a very tiny knife from the shelf. The handle was a light wooden color and the blade was out, and she felt dizzy as she stared at the traces of blood on it. She finally reached back out and picked it up, reminding herself that it was obviously Joker's, but she continued to wonder why a bloody knife had been in the cabinet. Suddenly she froze, her eyes wide, when realization dawned on her; had this been the knife he had used towards his scars?

Her heart raced as she slowly set the blade down on the rim of the sink and she took a step back as she remembered what Joey had once told her. Joker had been in this very apartment when it happened...

She glanced down now and something under the light caught her attention on the floor. She swallowed nervously again as she leaned down, sliding the rug away from the sink, and she about fell over from shock. The entire floor that had been covered by the rug was stained in old blood, the spots all a dark, dark red color. The bass from the music thumped below her as she stared, somewhat horrified at the floor below her. She finally allowed herself to fall back, her butt hitting the floor as she realized she had been standing in the very spot where Joker had gone crazy on his face.

She couldn't fathom a single thought as she sat there, just staring, though she wasn't seeing anything. She sat there for minutes on end, just blankly staring at the floor, until a burst of tears flowed out from her eyes. She closed them tightly as her body shook with all the held in frustration she had felt. Suddenly being in Joker's old apartment seemed so wrong, but Willow was stuck yet again. Being in there was practically the same as actually being with him in person. Willow had no escape from him...

She wiped her eyes as she stood up now, not bothering to replace the rug. She headed across the small living room towards the bathroom, and she pushed the stubborn door open, angrily kicking away the rug that had been blocking it. Another shock ran through her when she realized she was standing on yet even more blood stains, the splatters on the floor leading directly to the bathtub. She breathed in and out deeply as she turned to look out of the bathroom, and as she retraced her steps she noticed a few more blood stains that led towards the bathroom from the sink. She could now picture in her mind what she had assumed had happened that fatal night, and she shut her eyes tight, trying to erase the images from her mind. She took a few long steps over to the bed before she finally plopped down onto it, the bed slightly bouncy. The bounces only added to her frustration and she took a pillow from next to her and threw it as hard as she could across the room. It _touched_ wall and fell pathetically to the ground, the tossing of the pillow having no soothing effect on Willow's rage whatsoever, and she leaned down to the side of the bed, burying her face in the sheet. She sobbed for a few more seconds as nothing but thoughts of Joker ran through her mind, until finally she leaned up, staring at the wet spot she had created on the white sheets of the bed. She sniffled as she wiped her tears away. Her body ached and her mind continued to race, and she wished it would all just _stop._

She took a few deep breaths, unsure of how much more crying her body could handle. She thought she had gotten it all out at Arkham, when obviously she hadn't. She was so sick of thinking about Joker all the time. Hadn't she convinced herself that she no longer cared? If he didn't want to see her, then she didn't want to see him?

She finally slowly rose from the bed and started back over to the bathroom. She ignored the stains on the floor as best she could as she started the shower, and she took a towel down from the rack above the toilet. She felt that maybe, just _maybe_, if she knew how he had been and what he had been doing, these random crying fits over him would stop. Maybe that was all she wanted to know to finally stop these spiraling thoughts and confusing emotions. All she knew was that she desperately wanted to be over it, and finally feel at ease again.

–

Willow stepped down the small steps from the stage and looked out into the bustling strip club. It was nearly ten o' clock now and was getting pretty busy. All sorts of men sat at tables, some with dates though most were alone, while all different dancers danced on stage to the bass-full beats. A few dancers walked around, conversing with one another, and through the organized mess Willow spotted Joey leaning again the bar, talking to Britney. Willow watched as she laughed as she looked down, tucking a piece of light blond hair behind her ear. Willow rolled her eyes as she fixed her ripped tank top, only one of the many items of clothing Joey told her she could steal, for now, from the dressing rooms. She started towards the bar, and she smiled slightly at Joey once she approached him.

"Hey," he grinned as he placed an arm around her shoulders, and Willow couldn't help but smirk at Britney before she looked up to Joey.

"Hey," she said back. "I feel asleep," she explained the reason why she was so late. She had only meant to shut her eyes for a minute, but found the bed to be usually comfortable, and as thoughts of Joker laying in that exact spot faded from her mind, she had dozed off.

"It's cool," Joey said. "So Britney, Willow. Willow, Britney," Joey started as he slid his arm off of Willow, and he used his other hand to point back and forth between the two girls.

"I know," Britney said as she glared at Willow.

"We've met," Willow added. Joey paused, and either didn't notice the tension that existed here or chose to ignore it.

"Well Britney said she's good with teachin' you the ropes," Joey said as he turned to Willow, and he nodded and grinned at some behind Willow before he looked back down to her. "I'll pay you for the training but I need you to be useable by Sunday night, ya feel me?"

"Yes," Willow said routinely.

"Alright," he said. He patted Willow once on the back before he started away with a sort of a man-strut towards the stage, and he disappeared behind the curtain. Willow grinned and rolled her eyes but her smile faded once she noticed how Britney was staring at him. Her face had paused in a sort of dreamy smile, and she didn't blink as she watched him go. Willow smirked to herself for a moment, feeling the need to brag about her private 'experience' she had once had with Joey, until she suddenly realized she probably wasn't all that special... Lot's of the girls at Line of Jewels probably already knew.

Willow cleared her throat now, feeling the need to be somewhat rude. "We going to get started?" She asked as she rose her eyebrows. Britney blinked rapidly a few times before she leaned off the counter and she glared at Willow.

"I'm so _happy_ to see the loony-house didn't change you a bit," Britney said sarcastically.

"It'll take more than a few psychiatrists and straightjackets to do the deed," Willow said as he rounded the bar to stand next to Britney. She forced air through her nose as she glared at Willow from the corner of her eye before she rolled them and bent down.

"Unfortunately," she mumbled, though it was loud enough for Willow to hear, and Willow rolled her eyes. She wanted to think that at this point, dancing didn't seem all that bad, but as she watched the girls on stage, she couldn't help but feel a nervous patter in her heart. She just wasn't ready to do it.

"You have to wear this," Britney said as she handed Willow a small black apron.

"You're not," Willow pointed out as she reached behind her, tying the strands over her lower back.

"Because I'm not dressed like a _whore_," Britney said in a false happy voice, and she even flashed her a quick smile before she turned around towards a stack of shot glasses.

_No need to be jealous_, Willow thought sourly in her head. She was above sinking down to Britney's level, and honestly Britney's childish attitude towards her was humorous. Since day one she could never figure out why Britney disliked her so much, but she didn't let it bother her. Britney was just another one to add to the list.

"And also," Britney started as she stared at Willow, her light blue eyes quickly roaming over Willow's hair before she looked back into her eyes. "Do you have something you can tie your hair back with?" Willow rose an eyebrow at her, and Britney sighed. "Bartenders are supposed to look somewhat professional. Sexy, but professional," she added as she protruded out her hip, placing her hand on it, obviously talking about herself. "You _strippers_ may be able to get away your _sex hair_, but behind the counter it's not acceptable." She looked back to Willow wavy hair, a few curls sprung out here and there and her part was all messed up. Willow didn't mind; she had come to like the crazed look.

Willow felt her teeth clench in anger as she glared at Britney. She thought to her knife sitting in her old room, and all she could picture was herself 'acquainting' Britney with it.

"So you got a hair tie?" She snapped, and Willow shook her head. Britney sighed heavily as she rolled eyes, and she took off a spare one from her wrist and dropped it onto Willow's opened hand. "Have your hair straight again for tomorrow night," she said as a couple of fat guys started towards the bar. "It suits you better, trust me."

–

After a long three hours of what Britney considered to be 'training' Willow was finally plopping down onto the bed. She sighed as she stared up at the ceiling, her arms stretched on either side of her as he legs hung off from the bed from her knees. Willow's first night of training consisted of more bitching from Britney, watching her flirt with nearly ever single guy, and simply just _watch_ what she did. Throughout that time, Willow couldn't help but always smirk at Britney when a good majority of the perverts wanted to talk to _her_, for it always made Britney angry. But now all Willow wanted to do was bunch up in the bed and go to sleep, though she had a feeling the pounding music from below would make it awfully hard.

She sighed again as she arched her back, forcing herself up, and she pulled at the hair tie, letting her waves and curls fall loosely and freely over her shoulders. She threw the rubber band to the grand and ran her fingers over her scalp as she stood up, heading towards the bathroom.

As she brushed her teeth with her cheap new toothbrush Joey, for some random reason or another, had lying around, she let her eyes roam over the apartment. She allowed herself to picture Joker sitting on that couch, pre-scars, watching TV, and sleeping in the bed. She pictured him in the kitchen, though she had a rather hard time imagining him cooking anything, and figured he was most likely the type to always go out and pick something up to eat. Her eyes wandered away from the kitchen and now narrowed on a rather large stereo that sat on a dark wooden, long table directly in front of her on the opposite wall. Once she was finished brushing and was all rinsed, she headed towards the stereo.

It appeared to be fairly new Willow decided as she inspected it. She backed away from it and continued to stare at it, wondering how often Joker had used it. She couldn't help but want to deeply explore the apartment, and all night as she 'worked' she couldn't help but wonder if Joker had left behind any more 'clues' to his past, such as that little knife and bloodstains. She felt so confused; on one hand she _really _did just want to be over him, but on the other she felt like she wanted to take the opportunity to learn more about him, since she figured she'd never find out any other way. She absentmindedly started pushing buttons on the radio, and she jumped slightly when a radio station came on. She grinned stupidly at herself for being so jumpy, and she continued to play around with the menu on the stereo, wondering if this was the last station Joker had listened to, or if Joey had changed it for whatever reason one of the few times he had been in there. Most likely to clean.

She came across an option that read 'alarm clock' and she selected it, an eyebrow cocked. She saw that the alarm was set for five in the morning, and she wondered greatly what Joker had been doing to wake up so early, and she wondered how often he did. She exited the menu now and was just about to turn the stereo off and heat up that can of soup Joey had given her, when she pushed one final button, just to see. She placed her thumb on the eject button, and the CD tray opened up, reveling a single CD in slot number one. Her eyes widened as she took the CD out, and she read what was sloppily written on the top, "'311' Songs".

Her curiosity got the best of her and she put the CD back and closed the tray, and after hitting the 'CD' button and adjusting the volume, she sat down on the right corner of the bed, waiting for something to start.

She waited for one of either three things: some random rap beat, some weird noise, or a heavy blaring metal guitar. But rather, just faintly she heard a normal sounding guitar for a few seconds, until a soft and unique male voice started singing. Without warning the song instantly dove into one of it's main beats. She couldn't help but tap her foot to the beat; the music was chill and calming, but also fun and something you could easily move your body along to. Willow listened to the song more, and as she sat there, staring at the blue numbers on the small screen of the stereo, she had a rather hard time picturing Joker listening to that certain song. She leaned over and skipped ahead to song number two, but it, much like the rest of the songs that were on there, sounded about the same as the first, some heavier, some softer. Willow had never heard of the band, and she wrinkled her nose in slight disgust as she wondered why Joker had been listening to them.

For hours Willow had tried to keep herself busy. She had eaten her soup, and after she did the dishes, she wandered around the apartment some more, though found nothing of interest, not that she was looking too closely. It felt odd being so alone, and she was a little nervous to be staying all alone in that big club all by herself once everyone had gone home, but she had forgotten this thought once she had fallen asleep, and all she could do was worry about what was to come the next day.

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	4. Beautiful Disaster

The weeks passed by seemingly fast. Willow had come to grips with bartending and could now work at a suitable pace, though she still got slightly confused when mixing drinks and distinguishing the different types of liquor. But whenever she felt swamped or confused, she always passed the work to Britney, who didn't seem to have much of a problem about it, though complaining, bitching and finding a way to put Willow down always seemed to follow.

When Willow wasn't working, she spent the rest of her time in the apartment. Since the club didn't close until three, Willow had practically trained herself to stay away until then. She spent a few days more rummaging through the apartment, looking through all the cabinets in the kitchen and even looking under the couch cushions. Oddly enough, one of the last places she checked was under the bed, where she found a small, plastic, clear tub with a blue lid. She pulled it out as she sat on the floor, cross-legged in front of it, and she popped off the lid, setting it down beside her. Her eyebrows met in the middle as she looked through the tub, pulling out old newspaper clippings and pictures that went along with them. She read over some of the headlines: '_Two New Bodies Turn Up Dead', 'Gotham Killer Still At Large', 'Missing Twins Still Not Found', 'Missing Twins Turn Up Dead on Main'. _The list went on. But once Willow had read her tenth news clipping and browsed over the twentieth picture, she had come to the conclusion that these were the people Joker had killed when he moved to Gotham.

Once she figured this out, her skin crawled nonstop, and it got worse and worse until she finally threw all the pieces of paper back in the bin, and she slid it back under the bed where it belonged. She had so much new insight onto who Joker was and who he had been, but all she had really were just random pieces of the puzzle. Clues that had to all be fitted together followed by some questioning to really understand. She figured she wouldn't have the chance though, and she wasn't exactly sure if she wanted it. Just the fact alone that Joker had once kept a record of everyone he killed sent unwanted chills up her spine. There was _a lot_ of news clippings in there...

But regardless of her scrambled thoughts, she continued to listen to that lone CD Joker had left behind. She couldn't help it. Not only was the rock/reggae styled music incredibly catchy, but it also made her think of him, think of him in a way that sort of comforted her. It made her think of the person he once was, and some of his better qualities; his human side. She knew it was bad to do, but she couldn't help it. She kept the stereo on nearly all day, everyday, with the CD on random and on repeat. The songs were always playing when she went to sleep, when she woke up, when she came back upstairs from work, and when she ate.

Joey noticed Willow seemed much more happier than she had when she had first arrived. She didn't seem as mopey and she smiled more, and when she was working Joey could sometimes catch her staring longingly at the stage.

"Why don't you start dancing again, girl?" He asked her over the music once as he leaned against the bar. "Club needs ya."

Willow had only shrugged and made a point not to stare at the stage again that night. Joey still didn't fully understand why she didn't go back to dancing, he could tell bartending simply wasn't her thing, though he figured the majority started and ended with the Joker. It was tempting to tell Willow what Jack had told him, or even tell him about Willow, but he kept his mouth shut, the need to not get mixed up in their drama too overwhelming for him to care too much. Not only that, but the last thing he needed was a big commotion at his club.

–

Today already hadn't been the best of days. Not only had Loc somehow found a way to get Rocco and Henshaw on about the annoying and loud level he was at downstairs, but the TV was broken, there was barely any food left, and lately Joker hadn't been sleeping very well. With the lack of things to do, or the motivation to go and find something to do, Joker felt tired though restless, and the lack of sleep was starting to take a toll on him. But he had never felt so awake, and so _angry_ when he found out the news... the news he thought he'd _never_ come to hear.

One of the nights before the TV broke, Joker had been absentmindedly watching the news. He had been trying to make himself tired, all ready to climb into bed as he wore a pair of black sweats and no shirt, and he held his head in his hand, his elbow on the arm of couch, as he stared at the TV. He had just been ready to say 'fuck it' and turn the TV off, when a picture of Willow popped up on the screen. The news anchor went on to explain that Willow was _still_ missing since her first day of being released. Joker didn't know whether to be more interested at the fact that she had actually made it out within four months of time, or that she was now suddenly missing. For a split second and so fast that Joker had to wonder if he had even thought it at all, he couldn't help but feel a flash of worry go through him, instantly wondering if she was okay. But the emotion was replaced with anger and he quickly turned the TV and stood to go into his room. He didn't care where Willow was. She was someone else's problem now.

But another problem arose on this day now, and it was quick to put Joker in an even _worse_ mood. He had been standing out side in the front of the building just as the sun started to go down, idly smoking a cigarette to pass the time as he pretended not to listen to a few thugs standing by the cars talking.

"You see that new bartender at Line of Jewels?" One of the fatter of the men asked.

"The brunette? Yeah. She sucks."

"She is hot though."

Joker couldn't help but be a _little_ bit interested. He threw his cigarette on the ground and stepped on it as the thugs went on.

"Yeah. Terrible drink mixer though. Britney's better."

"Didn't she used to dance?" The smaller of four asked, and by then Joker was quick to make his way over to them. They all instantly seemed to stand up straighter and they all quieted down as Joker ran his eyes over all four of them.

"Who are we talking about?" He asked as he looked over all four men again, waiting for someone to speak.

"T-the new bartender at the club," the fat man said. Joker nodded, 'mhmm-ing' at this. He clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth before he leaned in.

"And uh... what _is_ this girl's name?"

All four men looked at each other, stumbling around with 'uhs' and 'ums', Joker quickly losing his patience.

"Wa-something. Wee... Willow!" The small guy exclaimed. "Willow!"

Something changed on Joker's face that caused all four men to back up. Joker's heart began to pound, hard, against his chest, and he felt as though he could hear it.

"That'll be all," he said calmly, his way of dismissing the men. Luckily they took the hint and they rushed inside the apartment, tripping over each other. Joker remained staring straight ahead before he reached into his purple coat pocket and he drew out the keys to the black SUV.

He sped down the road, tailgating cars and switching lanes vigorously as he headed towards Joey's. It all made sense suddenly: Willow goes missing the day she's released, and now suddenly there's a new bartender at the club? Joker felt lightheaded and dizzy, and he mumbled something to himself as he sped, seeing nothing but the road. How could Joey, his 'friend', not even tell Joker that Willow was there? How long had she been there? Had Joey told Willow what Joker said? Joker was fuming.

The tires screeched to a halt as he parked the truck by Joey's car and he slammed the door shut as he made a beeline towards the door. He threw it open and glanced quickly to the bar just as he stepped inside. He only the saw the blond working there, the line at the bar long. He took a deep breath in through his nose and cracked his neck, hanging his head to the left and then the right before he started angrily towards the private area, ignoring all the horrified stares, and behind him a few people quickly exited the building, sensing something was about to go down.

Joker opened and closed his hands as to pop his fingers, and he wiggled them around once he had entered the private area. He turned the corner and started up the stairs towards Joey's office, only to receive an unexpected surprise.

Willow had just been going downstairs to get ready for work. Her head looked down as she fixed the bottom of her shirt, straightening it over her hips, when she collided with someone on the stairs.

"Sorry," she immediately said as she caught her balance and she backed up a step, but once she looked up, the world seemed to stop spinning for a moment. Her breath hitched in her throat and her heart felt as though it had shattered inside her chest. Her eyes went wide and mouth dropped as she stared into the dark eyes of the Joker.

Joker had frozen as well. He had not expected to run into Willow this way. He remained staring at her with a somewhat shocked look on his face until he let his eyes flicker over her, taking in what he quickly could. Her hair, that was thrown over her shoulders in its normal fashion seemed longer, and she didn't wear too much make up. She seemed skinnier, and somewhat pale. She seemed the same yet so... different.

Willow took a short second to look over Joker as well. Her mind was a haze, and all she could notice was how his make-up looked as though he had been stuck in rain. Patches of his skin showed through and the dark around his eyes had been smeared upward, turning the white on his forehead gray. The red ran down his chin and even stained his neck, and for a short second Willow wondered what on Earth he had been doing.

Time came back and Willow finally snapped out of her daze. Memories of all that had happen that night, and of all that she had gone through all because of _him_, came rushing back. Once Joker saw her face go from surprised to suddenly flat, he figured it was time to speak up.

"Hi."

Willow took a deep breath in from her nose as she narrowed her eyes at him. He had said that so easily, so casually, as if he had simply just come to visit her at work like he used to. This made Willow more furious as ever, and it was finally clear to her that Joker hadn't been effected by what had happened, at all. Finally she felt like she had the courage to say what she had been wanting to say to him for a long time.

"Fuck you."

She pushed passed him with her body as she continued down the stairs. She felt dizzy but she tried hard to walk straight as she went to exit the private area, still unable to believe that after nearly six months, half a _year_, Joker was here, at the club, and she had finally seen him in person. She breathed deeply and steadily as she made her way towards the bar, unknown to her that Joker had been following.

"Willow," he said, his voice loud over the music, but she continued to barge over to the the counter. Britney saw Joker rushing after Willow and she instantly felt nervous, and Joker couldn't help but roll his eyes as he watched a terrified looking Britney quickly hop over the counter, nearly knocking over a glass, and scurry away, like a frightened mouse in a snake's presence.

"Willow," he called again, and he sighed loudly as he placed his gloved hands on the bar as Willow rounded the counter, her back to him. She wished he would just go away; she felt dizzy with anger and her hands shook as she tried to make herself look busy with re-arranging the glasses on the bottom shelf. It was all happening too fast...

"Willow! Look at me dammit!" Joker yelled as he leaned over the counter just as Willow had stood up.

"What!" She yelled, her eyes wide as she turned to him, two shot glasses in her hand, and for a moment she considered throwing them at him, wanting nothing more than to just hurt him back, even if it was physically. Tears burned from behind her eyes and it took everything she had in her to hold them back. Just seeing him made her want to go crazy on him. But she held her ground, forcing herself not to cry. Joker brought his shoulders down and took a small breath as he leaned away from the counter, trying to calm himself down.

"I think we need to have a talk," he said calmly in that clowny voice as he looked at her angered and slightly confused face. Willow rolled her eyes, and Joker could see how watery they were.

"No," Willow said, her voice quivering. "We don't."

"Yes, we do," Joker said back in a harsher voice. He was _not_ taking no for an answer. He finally realized how long he had been waiting to at least _see_ her despite his best efforts not to admit this, and now that he was here, even in a fit of rage, he was not letting anything go.

"I have nothing to say to you," Willow spat as she leaned down again, reaching for more glasses. Joker growled as he started around the counter, and right as Willow leaned up he grabbed her wrist.

"Stop!" She yelled at him as her heart began to race with both anger and fear. But naturally Joker didn't listen as he pulled her away from her station and back towards the curtain. Dancers and guests nervously watched as Joker pulled her behind him, Willow trying to get out of his grasp. But his hand shut tighter around her skinny wrist as he yanked her with him until finally remembered it was useless and she let him pull her upstairs, Willow tripping over her feet.

Joker stopped short once he had reached Joey's door, Willow stopping just behind him and to the side, as Joker left three heavy pounds on Joey's door. Joey instantly knew something wasn't right as he started towards the door, and fear flickered through him as he wondered if it was Jack. But he forced himself to the door, and he felt lightheaded as he opened it, his eyes coming to stare at an angry looking Joker that held the wrist of a sad and somewhat bored looking Willow as she leaned against the wall.

"I think we _all_ need to have a little _chit-chat_." Joker's eyebrows rose up quickly before they laid back down flat on his frowning face. Joey swallowed as he stepped aside to let them in. Joker made his way inside, and he let go of Willow's wrist once she was inside too. She brought her other hand to it and rubbed it before she sat down in the middle cushion of Joey's big, brown, leather couch. Joey closed the door and slowly made his way towards his desk, desperately in need of a drink. But he could feel Joker's bloodthirsty eyes on him, so rather he leaned against his desk. Joker had once observed this scene before, Joey at his desk and Willow on the couch, but that was a long time ago, and the circumstances were much different.

The room was silent, save for the music from below. Willow had slouched down on the couch, her legs straight in front of her, and she folded her arms over her stomach as she stared at a spot on the floor, holding back her tears. She was not ready to have this talk, and she figured she never would be. Joey leaned against his desk, his legs crossed at the ankle, his arms crossed as he stared at a spot on the floor as well. Joker felt hot from under his coat, but he was a little too angry at this point to even think about taking it off. His mind whirled with questions and things he wanted to say, and he didn't even know where to begin. Finally he looked down for a moment as he took a step back, now located in the middle of the two and he glanced over at Willow before he looked over to Joey.

"Tell me, _Joseph_, how it's even _possible_ that I didn't know about this little, shall we call it... _arrangement_?"

Willow blinked back a tear as Joey uncrossed his legs and shifted his weight, placing his palms on the desk. He ignored the name Joker had called him, knowing this wasn't the issue at large.

"Look man, I didn't think it would be okay to do, ya dig?"

"No, Joey, I don't _dig_," Joker sighed as he glared at him. "_Please_, feel free to explain. I'm _dying_ to know your reasoning," he added in a very low, very deep voice. Willow would have found this to be incredibly sexy once, but now it just frightened her.

Joey searched for the right words to say. He wanted to be truthful, but he didn't know how to be without mentioning what Joker had said the last time he was there. "She just got out of Arkham, man. You really think _you're_ the first person she wants to see?"

Joey's comment was like a slap in the face to both Willow and Joker, and she held her breath as she looked to Joker. He stood still, glaring at Joey, until he finally rolled his eyes. He _hated_ the position he was in right now, and he himself didn't know what to say to this.

"She came to me, man," Joey went on as he leaned off his desk now. "They were gonna make her stay in some shit-ass apartment somewhere. She was scared, and I don't blame her. But you're _hilarious_ if you really think that she wanted to go to you. After what you did."

Joker bit one of his scars, and he nodded his head slowly as he turned to Willow.

"Is that true?" He asked her as he raised his eyebrows.

"Jack, c'mon-" Joey started, until he was interrupted by Joker holding up his pointer finger to him, and he turned his head.

"I'm speaking to Willow," he stated as if Joey was a child. Joey scowled at him as Joker turned back to a scared and sad looking Willow.

"Yes," Willow finally answered in a small voice. Joker was at a loss for words, again. He wasn't about to apologize, and he knew he really had no reason to be upset over the fact that Willow had called Joey. But still, he couldn't' help but feel as though he had been betrayed.

"Regardless of what happened," Joker started as he turned back to Joey. "Willow had, and _still_, belongs to _me._"

To this Joey rolled his eyes as he leaned back against his desk, and he noticed a flash of anger surge through Willow's face as her lips parted slightly as she looked at the back of Joker's head.

"You _both_ should know _not_ to keep things from me, because I have a way of finding things out," Joker stated slowly in that deep voice as he took a step closer to Joey. "And I don't like being _lied_ to."

"Lying?" Joey asked as he narrowed his eyes. "How are we lying?"

Joker wanted to tell Joey exactly what he was feeling, but he refrained from doing so. Willow watched as Joey leaned off the desk, both men practically in each others faces. She felt uneasy now, knowing that nothing but madness was sure to ensue, and she found it hard to believe it was all over her. She knew she wasn't worth it, and she stood up, her legs shaking as the room spun. She really didn't want to see them both fight, the thought alone scaring her.

Joker opened his mouth to talk, but Joey quickly interrupted. "Man you got a lot of nerve to come fucking barging your way to _my_ club and accusing me of lying!" Joey was on the verge of yelling now, and Willow felt as though she couldn't breath as she slowly stepped away from the couch. "I told you what the deal was. You fucking _knew_ Willow's release date, and you didn't do shit about it. She needed help, so I helped her, and yeah I didn't tell you, because I knew _this_ would happen!"

Willow swallowed as she quickly scurried passed them and she disappeared around the corner. She threw open her door, not bothering to close it all the way and she quickly plopped down on her bed, just wanting to drown everything out as Joey's voice got louder, and she couldn't help but listen.

"Don't _yell_ at me," Joker said, his own voice louder too. "After what I told you Joey... after what _I_ told you and felt like an... an _idiot_ for saying, and you don't tell me."

"You _left _her, dude," Joey said as he looked straight into Jokers eyes. "And _let_ them take her. You obviously don't give half a shit about her as you're trying to tell me you do. It's obvious. She didn't tell the cops or the dudes at Arkham anything about you, so why don't you just drop it and move the fuck on!"

Joker's heart raced with rage as he tried to keep himself in control, breathing deeply. The room spun as he continued to glare deeply into Joey's eyes. He just wanted this all to go away, but he couldn't just walk away and leave it all as it stood. Willow's heart pounded as she waited for Joker to yell, or for a loud crashing sound to erupt due to a physical fight, but this never came, and Willow didn't know what to think when she heard Joker speak.

"Because I _can't_, Joey," Joker said as he slapped his hands against his sides, and he felt dizzier than ever, but he didn't know else to do besides be truthful. He knew that _he_ was the idiot in this situation, and for the first time in a _long_ time he didn't have the upper hand. He knew, though he didn't want to admit it, that Joey was right, and it made Joker feel low and completely unlike himself as he stood there, knowing that where ever Willow had gone, she was listening.

"This isn't an issue about _Willow_ and me," he said to Joey. "Right now, this is a matter of _you _and me. What exists between me and Willow is _no_ concern to you, so don't tell me what I should or shouldn't do. And the next time I come to find out you've been keeping something _big_ from me, something that has _nothing_ to do with you and _everything_ to do with me, I'll have your _life_ for it."

Joey felt somewhat threatened by his warning, but he held his ground, trying to act as though it didn't both him. "Do what you want," Joey said. "I don't want to be wrapped up in this bullshit."

He walked passed Joker and Joker listened to him open the door and close it behind him as he started down the stairs. Joker closed his eyes tightly and held his hand to his head as he breathed in and out through his nose. At least he had gotten his point across to Joey, and now all that was left to do was speak to Willow...

He took a deep, steady breath as he started around the corner, and he paused at the door. He hadn't been in his old apartment in a _long_ time, and he was a little hesitant about going inside, and he couldn't help but be a little agitated that Willow had spent so much time in it. He knew he had left things behind there, things that he knew Willow had most likely gotten into.

He finally took a step forward and pushed the door open a little more. The apartment looked just how he had remembered, only with Willow's random, borrowed clothes thrown around on the floor and stacked on the couch. He turned to the right and saw Willow sitting on the far side of her bed, her back turned to him, by the stereo, which he noticed was on. He stepped inside further, and a sharp pain ran through his heart when he recognized the song that was on, but he tried hard to ignore it. He stared at his reflection in the square mirror above the sink, and he he dropped his eyes to it, and saw that all too familiar knife laying in it, just over the drain.

He finally forced himself to turn away and he made his way over to Willow's side of the bed. He sat down, the music more audible now, but he ignored it and stared at her profile. She had both her hands on either side of her, clutching the bed spread as she looked down, not blinking, and it seemed as though she was holding her breath. He frowned and licked the scar on his bottom lip.

"Willow..." he started, his voice low and gentle now. Willow was still shook up over his and Joey's discussion, and she was more confused than ever as she fought back those damn tears.

"I know you probably don't want to-"

"You left me," Willow interrupted said as her voice quivered. "You just fucking... _let_ them take me-"

Joker was about to speak when suddenly Willow shoulder's heaved up and down rapidly, and before he knew it she was crying, harder than ever as she allowed herself to lean on him. He placed his arm around her lower back and he put his gloved hand on her hip. Willow didn't fight him, and though she hated herself for breaking down like this, she couldn't explain how she felt _finally_ being this close to him again.

She continued to cry, feeling more stupid than ever as tears fell onto Joker's purple pants. He stayed silent as he watched the top of her head, her body shaking violently against him.

"All day all I could do was think of why you did it," Willow finally forced herself to say. She wanted him to know how she felt, and more than anything she wanted Joker to feel _sorry_, though she knew the truth was he wasn't.

"I don't know why," Joker said in that low and quiet voice as he leaned his head down closer to hers. "I don't know why I did it."

Willow wanted to hear him say he was sorry, but she knew he never would. She continued to cry, breaking in deeply his scent, and she hated herself for starting to feel that much more at ease. She was _supposed_ to hate him, _supposed_ to want to be away from him. She started to get used to the fact that she just wouldn't ever see him again, but yet here he was, so randomly. And his being there had to count for something, right? Even if he'd never admit it.

"I told Joey I don't regret things," Joker breathed, wanting to slice his own throat for even telling her this. "And I don't, not _one_ thing I've ever done. But leaving that night... I guess I sort of do."

Willow listened to him, and wanted to believe him, but she just couldn't let herself. She sniffled as she leaned up now, and she wiped her eyes. Joker watched her; her face was slightly red and her make up had run down her cheeks. The words 'beautiful disaster' came to mind as he continued to look at her.

"Whatever," Willow finally said as she wiped the final tear off. "If you regret it so much why didn't you come back for me."

"I don't know," Joker said truthfully as he stared at the stereo now. Willow watched him now, noticing how bored his face looked, though she could have been mistaking his saddened face for boredom. She didn't know what to say. She bit her lip as she looked away.

"Look," Joker started he he looked back to her. "I can't explain why I left you without..." he paused, and Willow looked back over to him. "You were _distracting_," Joker explained. Willow wanted to roll her eyes and look away, but her curiosity got the best of her, and she continued to look at him. "When I first took you, I didn't want for..." he paused again, sighing, and it made Willow _slightly_ happy to see how bad he was struggling with his confession, whatever it was. "Honestly, you were supposed to be dead by now."

Willow's face fell and she finally allowed herself to roll her eyes as she stood from the bed, but Joker quickly grabbed her already throbbing wrist as he stood up.

"What I mean is I didn't want you to become my _roommate_, if you will," he started as Willow glared at him. "I had nothing else to do at the time, no big plans, and I didn't want any. I wanted something I could just _play_ with and then throw away. But _obviously_ I sure know how to take a pick, because look what happened."

He was _not_ going to elaborate on that, and Willow stayed silent as she listened, though she did try to free herself from his grip. But he held on to her as he stared down at her.

"You were distracting because every time you came around I'd seem to just stop what I was doing. I blame _you_ for why the cops came around that night. I could have planned it better to avoid it."

"You're a fucking _asshole_," Willow said as Joker finally let her wrist go. This was not coming out how Joker wanted, and he watched as she stormed towards the bathroom.

"Willow," he growled, getting more and more frustrated as he quickly followed her towards the bathroom, only for the door to suddenly be slammed in his face. He reached for the handle and tried to turn it, only to find it was locked. From inside Willow sat down on the edge of the bathtub as she tried to calm herself down.

From outside of the door Joker sighed as he hung his head. "Are you _really_ going to make me talk to you through the door?" He asked in a flat, clowny voice.

"Maybe you should take the hint," Willow said, her voice muffled, and Joker rolled his own eyes, wanting to strangle her at this point.

"I meant that as a _good_ thing, Willow," he said as he started at the dark wood. The song behind him changed, but he tried to pay no attention to it and tried to ignore the memories the song brought on. "I left you that night because I wanted to be away from the _distraction_."

He hoped she had understood the hint and what he was _trying_ to tell her without having to say it out loud, but she was silent. Inside of the bathroom, she felt her heart sink, but anger overpowered, and she continued to sit there with a scowl on her face.

"I didn't know what else to do. I knew you'd be okay in Arkham, and I figured it was my chance to... _move on_." He knew Willow wouldn't like that part, and he was right. Willow rolled her eyes and sighed heavily as she stood up, tears threatening to fall as she shook her head, holding her hair off of her neck for she suddenly felt incredibly hot.

"Obviously I couldn't, which I'm _sure_ Joey told you..." he rolled his eyes now, feeling more and more stupid the more he went on, until finally he realized he should just stop. It was useless. Willow listened as he walked away, and she heard the door close behind him. Finally more tears fell from her eyes as she sat on the toilet, and she leaned over, letting herself cry.

Joker started down the stairs and as he turned the corner he saw Joey sitting in a chair, some redhead all over him. Joker glared at him for a moment before he turned away and continued passed the curtain. Joey quickly stood up, pushing the redhead off of him as he pushed the curtain to the side. He watched Joker walk towards the exit, his coat rising and falling behind him, until finally he threw the door open, and he was gone.

–

About a week passed by with no word from Joker, which Willow felt both relieved and maybe even a little sad about. All she could do was think about the night he had come, and what he said, or at least tried to. It confused her; was it all a game? Or was he telling her the truth?

The thoughts clouded her mind, and her distance in reality showed at work. Britney grew more and more frustrated with Willow just idly standing there, leaning against the counter as she stared at the stage straight ahead.

"You're here to _work_," she finally told her bitterly. "Quit daydreaming about that stupid clown."

Willow rolled her eyes at her.

"Dare you to say that to his face," she said as she leaned up, and Britney rolled her eyes.

"I don't _have_ to tell him," she snapped back. "He already knows."

Willow let a snort of laughter escape from her. She sounded so sure of herself, and all Willow could do was roll her eyes.

Her shift was just about ended at the end of the week. She glanced up at the clock, noticing that it was almost two thirty AM. Britney had already left, leaving Willow to clean up and get organized for the next night. Willow had just bent down to put away the clean glasses from the bin next to her when the Joker waltzed his was into the club. He looked around, noticing that no music was playing and that nobody was around, save for a few girls who were trying to decide how to walk passed him to leave. He smirked at the group of huddled up dancers as he looked towards the bar. He saw no one behind it, and he wondered if Willow had already gone upstairs when he heard clanking coming from behind the counter. He decided to investigate and he stepped over to the front of the counter, and he saw Willow bent down as she unloaded the glasses.

She had just finished putting the last one away and she stood up, only to jump and nearly scream when she saw Joker staring at her. He grinned slightly at her frightened face.

"You haven't looked at me like that in a _long _time," he joked, but Willow only rolled her eyes, suddenly deciding that Britney could finish the rest of the cleaning up tomorrow night. Joker frowned now as Willow started to take her apron off. She glanced at him, and caught his eyes quickly wander down her body before he looked back up to her, and she huffed as she rolled her eyes.

"Willow," he started again. "Talk to me."

She glared at him before she threw her apron at him. The action was unexpected and she couldn't help but feel a _little_ better when it hit his face. Joker remained calm however as he took it in his hands, and he rolled his eyes as he leaned off the counter, apron still in hand, as he followed Willow. She stormed towards the private area and she disappeared behind the curtain. Joker pushed passed the curtain just in enough time to catch her running up the stairs, taking two at a time.

"Willow," he started again just as he had caught up to her at Joey's door. She went to close the door in his face but he reached out, stopping it, and let himself inside Joey's office. He looked over to Joey, who was sitting behind his desk, and he took in a deep breath as he somewhat angrily watched Joker close his door.

"Not a word," Joker said as he pointed at him. Joey shook his head before he turned back to his computer, deciding to let the two of them fight it out.

Joker started over towards his old apartment door, but naturally when he went to open it, it was locked. Willow sat at the edge of the bed closest to the door as he listened to Joker sigh, and she knew he was losing his patience. But why should she care?

"Willow, _please_, just _talk _to me," Joker said. "_Humor _me."

Willow rolled her eyes as she crossed her legs and she started to look over her nails, kind of enjoying watching Joker act this way. It was different for him, and she liked it.

Joey sighed from behind his desk as he watched his friend pathetically fail, and he couldn't help but grin as he stood up, collecting the few papers he had been looking over. He put them away in their proper file cabinet before he grabbed his leather jacket and keys, and he walked over to Joker.

"I'm going home," he said to Joker, and he turned towards him. "Tell Willow," he added, though Willow could perfectly hear their conversation. "Whatever happens," he added. "Don't touch anything. Because I'll know, ya feel me?"

Joker rolled his eyes as he growled, wishing he didn't have an audience for this.

"Yes, Joey," he sighed as he cracked his neck. "I am feeling your rule, and I will not handle any of your possessions."

Joey grinned at him before he pat him on the back, Joker wanting to rip his head off. He waited until Joey closed his office door, before he turned back to the door, Willow unknowingly smirking from behind it.

"Willow _Fox_," Joker said now as he leaned his head on the door, his shoulder's slumped. "You and I both know I'm perfectly capable of breaking this door down."

Willow continued to look over her nails, hardly phased by his threat. Joker lowly growled to himself again. He wasn't in the mood to break down the door, and he didn't need Willow to be any more angry at him then she already was. He waited a few more seconds, waiting to see if Willow would say anything or even open the door, but nothing but silence existed. He turned away from the door now and walked over to Joey's desk. Willow waited, listening, but she never heard him open the door to the leave. It was tempting to open the door and see what he was doing, but she stayed put, deciding it was better to just wait.

About a minute later she finally heard Joey's door close, and she felt like she could breath again. She waited a few more seconds until she figured it was okay to open the door and make sure he _had_ left. She could already picture him standing right by her door now, waiting to force himself in. On second thought, she figured that's probably what he _was_ doing.

She crept up to the door as quietly as she could and she gently eased it open. She peeked out, and saw no Joker. She finally opened it all the way and peeked out from around the corner. The room was empty. She let out a sigh of relief as she walked out now to turn off Joey's desk lamp. The only light that existed now was the light from the apartment that flooded out, making a little path for Willow to find her way back. She paused at her door now, noticing her apron drooped over the door handle. She rolled her eyes as she picked it up and she walked back into the apartment.

She locked the door and tossed the apron on the bed. She was about to start to the bathroom to brush her teeth, but she froze, something on the apron catching her attention. She sat on the bed as she took off the small yellow sticky note that had been folded into the fabric. She looked over Joker's small and sloppy writing:

_My Dearest Willow,_

Willow rolled her eyes.

_I'm getting very tired of your little game. I don't take to the silent treatment too well, so it would be in your best interest to just stop & talk to me. Otherwise I just-_

She turnedthe note over to read the rest:

_ -might stop trying. It's up to you. Till then..._

He signed his name sloppily on the bottom, the cursive completely unreadable. She re-read the note a couple of times before she sighed, placing it down on her end table as she rolled her eyes again, thinking. Joker's efforts to at least _talk_ to her were really starting to take a toll on her. She knew now that it had to count for something, and she wondered if maybe he _was_ regretful. She wondered, if she gave him the chance, what he would say to her. His note threatened that he would just stop, and Willow knew that he would force himself to. Then something clicked...

Willow knew that Joker could easily say 'fuck it' and stop trying. He was completely able to control himself, so it was all _him_ wanting to try and get her back, or at least talk. He had told her she was distracting, but obviously he was willing to overlook that to have her back with him. She smiled slightly. For once she had the upper hand on him, and while she wanted to milk it and enjoy it for as long as she could, the time with this was quickly winding down. She had to make a _big _decision.

The answer seemed almost obvious to her a few nights later. She had just gotten ready for work and just stepped out of her apartment when she saw Joey sitting at his desk, watching some youtube video on his computer. He suddenly shook his head and exited the entire window before he turned to the front and saw Willow looking at him.

"I don't even know why I bother," he was telling her.

"What was that?" Willow asked as she fixed the bottom of her tiny red tank top. Joey rolled his eyes.

"Some stupid video. I don't know," he growled, and Willow grinned at the bad mood Joey was suddenly in. "So any sign of the clown lately?" He asked as he leaned back, wishing in the back of his mind Willow wasn't wearing that big, black apron.

"No," she said, though she didn't sound as angry as normal, and Joey picked up on this.

"You sound upset about it," he commented, and Willow sighed.

"I don't know what to do," she said honestly. "What should I do?"

Hey, I don't know," Joey said. "This is an issue between you and _him_. Jackass made that real clear with me," he added as he rolled his eyes, and Willow smirked. She suddenly turned and walked back into the apartment, Joey watching all the while, until she came back out with that yellow sticky note.

"He gave me this last time he was here," she said as she handed him the note. He eyed her, confused, before he looked down to read it. He turned it over, reading the rest before he let out a chuckle.

"Dude's crazy," he said.

"Yeah..." Willow said.

"Just go with him," Joey said. "It's obvious you want to."

"I know," Willow said as she threw her arms up in the air. "But I just... can't. He _left_ me Joey."

"And the dude regrets it," he said as he leaned forward. "He really does."

Willow sighed. "I want to believe it," she said. She stayed silent for a moment, thinking. "What did he tell you?"

"Tell me when?" Joey asked.

"The first time he came here he figured that you had already told me something he had said. What was it?"

She saw Joey hesitate for a moment. "I don't-"

"Come on," she said as she stepped closer to his desk. "He already thinks you told me."

Joey sighed before he opened his mouth to talk. "He said, without actually saying it, that he practically missed you," he said easily, and Willow felt a shock run up her spine.

"Whatever," she said. "He did not."

"Hey, you asked, and I told you," Joey said.

"How exactly did he say it?" She asked.

"I accused him of it, and he denied everything I said. But he made me _swear_ not to say a word to anyone. And that if I did, he'd kill me. So thank you, Willow. I finally get successful, and now you try and kill me."

Willow smiled as she rolled her eyes. But she thought back to what he had said. She knew he'd never admit what he was really feeling, but him making Joey to promise not to tell anyone? That _had_ to mean something.

Another week passed by with no sight of Joker, and admittedly Willow couldn't help but be sad about it. She had gone crazy deciding what was best to do. On one hand she really, really wanted to forgive him, but on the other she was still mad. But as she thought more, she wondered if she could come to a happy medium? She knew that if something didn't happen with this next upcoming visit, whenever that would be, she'd lose her chance most likely, and deep down she didn't want that.

Now, on a cold, Saturday night, she had just stepped behind the bar to start her shift. Britney wasted no time in scowling over at her as she watched Willow tie on her apron.

"Don't you have any _real_ clothes?" She asked with a scowl. Willow ignored her as she went to serve the man who had just stepped up to the bar.

"What can I get you?" She asked, forcing a smile, and then man grinned back.

"What ever you prefer," the man said back to her, and Willow rolled her eyes.

"I don't drink much," she explained. "So I don't prefer anything."

"I can change that," the man offered, and Willow rolled her eyes again, not even knowing what he meant by that.

In his line of sight, Joker stopped at the door, watching some man's pathetic attempt to flirt with Willow. He watched as the man grinned, sloppily leaning over the bar as Willow glared at him. Joker rolled eyes, figuring an act of kindness might ease Willow's mood towards him a little bit.

He walked over and stood next to the guy, and he cleared his throat, loudly. Willow looked over to him, her eyes widening slightly, and the man jumped when he saw Joker grinning at him.

"Why don't you go find some where _else_ to be," Joker told him menacingly, and without a word the man scuttled away. Joker watched him go before he turned back to Willow with that same grin. She stared at him for a moment before she turned around.

"What, no _thank you_?" Joker asked. "I do believe I just _saved_ you from the start of a horrible night."

"Funny you should mention the word 'saved'," Willow said smartly as she turned back to him. "And no, _now_ is the start of my bad night."

Joker grinned at this, laughing slightly as he shook his head. She was actually talking to him, even if it was only smart remarks, but it was a start.

"I assume you got my note?" He asked as he watched her _try_ to look busy, but he saw right through it as he noticed Britney pushed all the way in the corner.

"Yeah," Willow said.

"So," Joker started slowly. "Can we talk?"

"I'm working," Willow replied simply, and Joker growled.

"I'm _sure_ our dear friend _Joey_ won't mind if you take a break," he said, but his voice was different. It was no longer clowny and somewhat normal, but rather low and edgy, like he was _really_ losing his patience. Willow paused, realizing she'd better, unless she wanted to lose her opportunity.

"Fine," she said as she sighed. "Britney, I'm taking a break."

Britney didn't move or say a word as Willow took her apron off. She placed it on one of the shelves below the counter and she started around it, walking towards the private room, not even bothering to see if Joker was following. She already knew the answer.

Joey wasn't in his office and Joker continued to follow Willow through it and into the apartment. He closed the door behind him, still unable to help looking around. It was still so odd being in there.

He noticed his CD still playing, the volume low, and he raised an eyebrow to this. Willow had gone to start cleaning up things in the kitchen, and Joker rolled his eyes to this as he stood in front of that sink, watching her.

"So," Willow started as she put the dishes in the sink, only to realize she had put the clean stack in. She paused for a moment, hoping Joker didn't realize this too as she continued to run the water on them anyway.

"So," Joker started as he watched her. Suddenly washing dishes didn't seem like enough busy work and Willow turned around, pausing as she looked for something to do.

"There's a big pile of clothes on the couch that need folding," Joker offered smartly with a grin, and Willow rolled her eyes, trying not to grin back. "There's also a bare room at the apartment that needs some... attention," Joker put rather causally, and Willow felt her heart stop for a moment as she looked at him. Had he really just invited her back to the apartment with him? That quickly?

She searched around for words to say as she continued to stand there. "I-" she started, only to stop again as she sighed.

"_I_ think you want to," Joker said as he dared take a step closer to her. But Willow stepped back; she was _not_ going to let him woo her into anything like he seemed to have a knack for doing, without even trying.

"I think you're wrong," Willow said as she tried to go passed him, but Joker stepped to the side, stopping her. She stepped to the other side to move passed, but Joker stepped to stand in front of her as well until she sighed, rolling her eyes.

"I don't play games," he said. "Remember? So quit acting like a child, and _talk_ to me."

"What is there to talk about?" Willow asked rather quickly, her eyes wide, and Joker looked into them, forgetting how green they were. "You left me..."

"I _know_," Joker said as he rose his eyebrows up, trying to keep calm. "I know I left you. And I told you why. I also remember telling you that I..."

"You what?" Willow asked as she put her hands on her hips.

"_Regret_ it," Joker said with a scowl. Willow felt as though she had been waiting this whole time for a sincere apology, for Joker to actually have a sad look on his face and for him to beg her forgiveness. But she finally, at that moment, realized she would never get it. Whether he really was sorry, which regretting the act seemed to imply, or not, she'd never hear him say those exact words. Truly the world would end if he did.

"Why didn't you just come back for me?" She asked as she looked up at him, his face-paint seeming freshly done. "Or did you realize that you regretted what you did once you realized how bored you got?" She knew the answer to this, but she asked anyway, just to see what he'd say. Joker sighed loudly as he looked up the ceiling before he went back down.

"_Obviously_," Joker said. "This talking thing isn't getting through to you. So maybe actions speak louder than words, yes?"

A shock ran up Willow's spine as Joker leaned down to her. Without warning he suddenly placed his gloved hand on her face, and he parted her lips with his thumb before he leaned in and kissed her. Against her will, Willow melted on the spot, seeming to turn into putty in his hands with his lips against hers, and in a matter of seconds, she finally kissed back, puckering her own lips.

The room spun as she realized how long she had been wanting to do this, and she felt her legs threaten to give out as Joker slid his hand from her face down to her neck, and he gently wrapped his fingers around the side of it, sending chills up Willow's spine. Butterflies started in her stomach, and the feeling was uncontrollable. She hadn't felt it in a long, long time, and she found herself enjoying it. Joker now slid his hand from her neck down to her waist as he placed his free hand on the other side, and he gently pulled her _slightly_ closer to him once he realized Willow wasn't going to try and fight him. Just barely he traced his tongue over hers, and he could feel Willow practically shudder against him.

Joker slowly pulled away, and he looked deep into her eyes, looking for a reaction. But Willow seemed unable to comprehend anything, for her lips were still parted and she had a dazed look on her face.

"Come back to the apartment with me," Joker finally said in a soft, low voice as he continued to look into her eyes, and Willow into his. She could just _barely_ see the blue in them; she had completely forgotten that color existed in his dark eyes. She had also forgotten that she was probably the only person in Gotham that knew that.

Willow didn't know what to say. If it wasn't for Joker's hands on her hips still she knew she'd collapse. Joker always seemed to be right there when she needed, supporting her. All that night had been was his one slip up, a slip up she had a feeling he wouldn't again commit.

She was still frozen on the spot as she looked into his eyes, her heart pounding against her, and she swallowed nervously.

"Convince me," she said in a small voice, and a surge of lightheaded-ness washed over her for a split second when Joker rolled his eyes.

"Willow," he started, his voice barely a growl. "I told you I'm done playing that ga-"

"Seriously," Willow said as she swallowed again, feeling as though she was going to pass out. "Convince me to go." She was supposed to hate him. Her trip to Arkham was _supposed_ to get her over him, and for a while she thought it had. It was so easy for her to just go back with him and pretend nothing had happened, but the voice inside her head was screaming at her to push him off of her and be done with him forever. He had hurt her, bad, and that wasn't something she could just forgive so easily. She didn't move as they continued to stare at each other, the seconds seeming like minutes to her as she fought with the voice.

"Well," Joker started. "I know you want to." He stated this so simply, and Willow hated how right he was. "I know that you've probably gone through _everything_ in this room, and seen all there is to see, and have a billion questions you want answers to."

Willow's wishful stares turned into somewhat of a glare as Joker kept on talking.

"I know you miss it there."

"You don't _know_ anything," Willow started, only for Joker to shake his head at her.

"Ah, ah. You wanted me to _convince_ you to go. Which I _know_ I'm doing."

Willow licked her lips as she stayed quiet now. Joker grinned at her as he leaned down close, his lips barely touching her ear.

"And I _know_ I _want_ you there."

Willow's lips parted as she felt her stomach drop. Joker leaned away now as he continued to grin down at her, knowing that he had gotten to her. Finally, he had won, and finally he had the upper hand again. Just as it should be.

"So, come with me?" He asked again, this time in a much more cheerful voice. The voice inside screamed at her, but on the surface, Willow agreed. She wasn't sure if it was right, but at the time she didn't care if it was wrong as she nodded her head.

"Okay."

**Gimme lots of reviews on this if you want the next chapter! :) Hope you enjoyed Joker's suffering, heh heh ;)**


	5. Getting Used To It

Nothing could describe the emotion Willow felt as they drove up the small, dirt path to the apartments. She hadn't been there in forever it seemed, and yet the building looked the exact same. She narrowed her eyes on the group of thugs that sat outside of the main entrance, laughing and smoking cigarettes, and her heart pounded nervously when she saw Loc in the middle of it all. She watched him for a minute before she turned to Joker just as he turned the car off.

"Shall we?" He asked, and Willow nodded before she opened the door. She closed it gently behind her after Joker had closed his. Loc, mid drag on his cigarette, looked up towards the car when he heard two doors shut, and he felt his stomach sink when he saw Willow, wearing some tiny little stripper outfit, walking behind Joker. His mouth fell as he watched them approach. The rest of the men seemed to notice they were now in the middle of a very awkward moment for they all quieted down.

"Gentlemen," Joker said as he stopped before them all. "I'm sure you _all_ remember _Willow_." He glanced over to Loc, and he narrowed his eyes at him when he saw the shocked look on his face. "Is there a _problem_, Loc?" Joker asked as he rose his eyebrows, and Loc quickly tore his eyes off of Willow and looked up to his boss.

"N-no," he said.

"Good," Joker said. "Because I would _hate_ for there to be." He finally continued passed the men and he opened the door. Willow quickly stepped passed Loc, trying hard not to look at him as he did. Still in disbelief he turned his head once she stepped onto the small porch, and he narrowed his eyes onto her ankle. His throat was dry and he licked his lips as the door shut behind her, and he turned forward again.

"What's your deal, dude?" one of the thugs asked Loc as he pushed him playfully, but Loc remained staring at the ground with wide eyes, wondering how on Earth it was possible that she was back.

"Don't worry about it," he said. He threw his half finished cigarette to the ground before he went inside the building, and he disappeared into his own complex.

Willow had just stepped inside Joker's apartment as he closed the door behind him. He watched as Willow slowly looked around, her lips slightly parted. The place was exactly the same as she remembered, though she couldn't help but feel a little bit nervous. She turned around and saw Joker leaning against door, watching her, and she quickly looked away. She was still a little mad at him, it was only natural for her to be. Just because she had come to apartment didn't necessarily mean that she forgiven him. She had only come because she didn't want to lose out on her chance. For the most part she was ready to put it behind her, but something told her not to do it quite yet.

"Not much has uh... changed," Joker said in a toneless voice as he leaned off the door. He took his gloves off and placed them on the small table by the door, Willow watching his movements and she noticed a pack of cigarettes on the table along with a pack of cherry Prime Times. She licked her lips; it had been a long time since she smoked, and a cigarette or even one of those Prime Times sounded perfect right now.

She looked back up to Joker as he shrugged his coat off, and he folded it in half once before he walked over to place it on the top of the couch. She looked over him, taking in the appearance of his purple pants and green vest. She pictured his muscular arms and broad back muscles underneath his blue patterned shirt, trying to remember how they had once felt against her skin. She finally snapped out of her daze, wondering what to do next. She felt as though she was again new to the place as she waited for Joker to tell her what she should do. Joker was looking at her again, and he cleared his throat before he nodded at the door behind her, his way of telling her she should go inside her room. She seemed to understand the hint and she turned, her back to him as she reached for the handle. Joker's eyes slid down and came to pause on her right shoulder; something wasn't right there. Walked up to her as Willow walked inside, and she paused. Her clothes were still all over, her bed slightly unmade, and she noticed her window was still open. It was as if she had _just_ been in there...

"I didn't go in here much," Joker explained as he took a step inside now, and he flipped the light switch up, the room suddenly filled with an orange glow. Willow didn't say anything as she continued to look around, and she noticed her knife still sitting on the end table. She sort of smiled at it, suddenly wanting to go play with it. She took a moment to be thankful she hadn't brought it with her that night. If she had, she knew she would have never seen it again.

She turned around however and saw Joker somewhat awkwardly looking down at her and she watched as his eyes traveled down to her right shoulder. His eyebrows met in the middle at her started at the thin, red line on it, and she sighed.

"They fixed them," she finally spoke up as Joker shifted his eyes back to hers.

"_Fixed_ them?" Joker repeated as he looked to her. Admittedly he was a little upset about that. He had enjoyed those scars he had given Willow, they were a symbol of him on her, and a _great_ memory. He looked back down to her shoulder. "And uh... how did you feel about that?"

Willow swallowed, wondering what to say. Joker looked back at her now, his face expressionless as he waited for an answer.

"Um," she started. "I was... upset." She nodded her head, unable to help but smirk. 'Upset' was really a downplay on how she had really been. For a short second she considered telling Joker this, but it would only show him that she wasn't really as mad at him as she was trying to make it seem. If Joker only _knew_ how much Willow missed him at Arkham, she knew it would change things, quickly, and only make him that much more cocky. Joker cocked an eyebrow at her as he continued to look into her eyes. "They also took my nipple rings out."

Joker grinned slightly at this, which caused Willow to smile slightly, and she shyly turned her head away.

"Why?" Joker asked, his tone somewhat playful now.

"They said it was 'procedure'. And that they didn't want to risk me having anything I could hurt myself with."

Joker giggled at this as he rolled his eyes. "They told me the same thing. Took mine out too."

Willow's eyebrows furrowed as she continued to look at him. "But then how did-"

"I re-pierced it," he said simply with a shrug. His grin widened as he leaned down closer to her, his voice low. "I could re-pierce yours, if you want."

Willow instantly shook her head as her eyes widened. There was no way she could do that. All of her piercings had been professionally done, and she couldn't imagine the how painful it would be doing it at home. Joker's grin disappeared some as he leaned back.

"Why?" He asked her.

"It would hurt," she said simply, the thought sending a shock up her spine, and she tried to force herself to stop thinking about it. To this Joker rolled his eyes with a sigh and Willow grinned.

"Better learn to live with pain, girlie," he said as he started towards the door. "There's much more to come," he added with a growl that sent a shiver up Willow's spine. Willow wasn't sure if she should feel threatened by that or excited, so she shrugged it off.

"Well," Joker said now with a sigh, deicing that tomorrow he was for _sure_ done with this awkwardness thing. He figured he'd give Willow one more night to get over everything that had happened before he'd have to step in. "Take a shower, then go to bed," he commanded. "I want to hear _all_ about your experiences tomorrow."

Willow continued to just look at him, already feeling as though things had suddenly gone back to how they were. She forced a smile however, deciding it best not to anger him on her first night back.

"Can I smoke a cigarette first?" She asked. Joker sighed as he rolled his eyes before he turned to head out of her room.

"If you must," he said. Willow took a step to follow him out, but she paused suddenly and turned. She reached back and grabbed her knife off of the end table before she put it in her tiny pocket and she walked out towards the door. Joker had already disappeared into his room as Willow went about picking up that black lighter and she pulled out a cigarette from the pack, happy to see that for once the pack was menthol.

Joker grunted slightly as he loosened his tie once he had carelessly dropped his vest to the ground and he proceeded to undo his shirt buttons. He took it off and dropped it on the floor as he made his way into his bathroom and he snapped on the light, a big yawn escaping passed him as he took a moment to stretch, raising his arms high above his head as he arched his back. He blinked his eyes rapidly for a second as he took a step up to the sink.

He leaned over it, his palms on either side of the sink as he waited for the water to turn somewhat warm, and he looked at his reflection in the mirror. He stared into his own eyes before they traveled down to his right scar, the one that curved upward before he looked to the left one, the one that he had messed up on. He stared at it as he traced his tongue along his from the inside of his mouth, his cheek pushed out slightly as he recalled the experience, and all that blood...

He grinned slightly as he finally looked down, running his hands under the warm water and he brought them to his face. He pumped some soap into his hand before he brought it back to his face, using his hands and fingers to get all the paint off. Once the water rinsed clear, he turned the water off, and reached over for his towel. He patted his face dry before he tossed it back on the sink, and he looked to his scars one more time. He found it somewhat irritating that Willow had spent all those weeks in _his_ apartment, the apartment where everything had gone down. He just knew that Willow had discovered everything else other than that knife that laid in the sink, and he growled slightly as he turned the light off in the bathroom. He then went on to take off his pants and he walked out of them, leaving them where they had dropped and he wasted no time in crawling into his bed.

He settled his head comfortably on the pillow as he sighed contentedly, feeling rather tired. He thought about how at that very minute Willow was most likely sitting in the graveyard, re-acquainting herself with James and the family. It annoyed him to realize that he was most likely going to get a _great_ nights sleep now that Willow was back where she belonged. She closed his eyes as he thought about it, and he cute, but somewhat pathetic attempt to keep him begging. _Begging_, Joker thought to himself. Surely that was _not _what he had been doing. More like... convincing, though it obviously didn't take much to get her to agree.

If Joker hadn't been so tired, he would have ended up laying awake, thinking about all that had happened with Willow all the way to the night he left her to how she was there with him now, but it seemed within a matter of minutes Joker was fast asleep, his breathing rough and deep as his body slowly rose and fell.

Willow had just stepped onto the small porch of the apartment and she looked around momentarily before she looked down to the cigarette between her fingers. The wind blew slightly as she brought the lighter up to the cigarette in her mouth, and she flicked it, but the flame wouldn't ignite. She sighed as she tried turning away from the wind, only to fail at lighting her cigarette, again. She had just turned to the door to go light it inside when she jumped suddenly. Loc grinned down at her as he closed the door behind him, and Willow rolled her eyes.

"What do you want?" She asked as she went to try the lighter again, but she had no luck.

"Looks like you need help," Loc said smoothly as he stood in front of her now. He took each side of black coat and he held it open as he looked at Willow. "Community service?"

Willow eyed him for a moment before she decided to give in, unsure of whether it was a stupid idea or not. But she was desperate for a cigarette, once she realized how long it had been since she had one she knew she'd do anything to get it. She leaned forward towards him as he blocked the wind and finally she lit the cigarette, and she leaned up quickly with a roll of her eyes.

"Thanks," she said rather offhandedly, the smoke escaping passed her lips as she spoke. She started off towards the side of the building, not entirely sure where she was going. Loc stood his ground, his eyes slowly wandering down her body to those swaying hips, until finally his eyes came to focus on her ankle. Flashes of that night ran through his head; he had been so sure he had ruptured her Achilles tendon; what had gone wrong? He took in a deep breath before he followed after her.

"How was _Arkham_?" He asked casually, and Willow rolled her eyes as she continued to walk. Loc was ruining her cigarette break real quickly. She didn't answer as she continued to the side of the building, passed all the cars, and she couldn't help but notice her Audi TT there, shining under the moon light. "I'm surprised they let you out so early. How'd you manage that one?"

Willow sighed loudly as she blew out the smoke from her second drag, but she continued to walk, hoping that if she ignored him he'd take the hint and leave.

"I saw _all_ the news coverage," he went on as she continued to follow closely behind her. Willow looked over to the graveyard that was almost parallel with where she was. "You looked like you'd been to hell and back. I see your _ankle_ healed up pretty well-"

"What do you want?" Willow asked as she spun around quickly, her green eyes staring into his.

"Just tryin' to strike up a friendly conversation," he said with a smile. Willow's eyes leaped from eye to eye on him before she shook her head.

"Leave me alone," she said. She went to take a step away from him but he reached out, placing his hand on her shoulder to turn her around. She pushed his arm off of her and took a step back as she shouted, "stop!"

"What are you doing back here, _seriously_?" Loc asked. His tone had changed, he sounded angry now, but Willow held her ground, not exactly sure how to answer that question. Before she could say a word though, he was quick to speak up. "You're useless here," he went on. "A waste of space. All you do is hang out upstairs, then come down every now and again for a cigarette, acting like you're better than everyone, thinkin' you're so tough 'cause you got the Joker on your side."

Willow glared at him as she took a deep breath in. Her heart began to race with anger, and she tried not to take what he was saying to heart.

"You know one day he's not gonna be there to protect you, and you're gonna be _fucked_," he added, notching his tone down a little. "Like, now..." He took a step towards her. "You're all alone, looking like _shit_, and vulnerable."

A blind anger flash flew through Willow, and once Loc had gotten a little to close to her, she instinctively raised her hand and pressed the glowing end of her cigarette to his face, gritting her teeth as she quickly twisted her fingers side to side to rub it in his skin quickly. He yelled out loudly as he stumbled back, quickly bringing his hands to the burn mark, and Willow's eyes widened as she quickly started around him.

"You're not as _tough_ as you think, either!" She spat at him as she turned around for a moment, mid stride. Loc angrily looked up at her as he held his hand to his cheek, and in a state of panic Willow quickly took off towards the building, her heart racing at the thought of him chasing her. She threw the door open to the apartments and ran up the stairs as quickly as her shaking legs would let her. She finally reached Joker's door, and she quickly opened it before she let his slam shut behind her. She froze suddenly, her breath hitching in her throat as she looked down the hall to Joker's door; that noise had been _incredibly_ loud. Her heart pounded, and she felt as though she could almost hear it as she waited for Joker's door to be thrown open and for a very irritated Joker to emerge. But as the seconds ticked on nothing happened, and Willow finally let out a sigh of relief as she went to quickly lock up all the locks on the door. The last thing she needed to was infuriate Joker on her first night back.

She felt dizzy now as she leaned against the door, and she listened as she heard the main apartment door squeak open. She listened as Loc opened up his own door and slammed it shut. She closed her eyes as she continued to deeply breathe, thinking back on what she had just done. With the the words Loc had been telling her and what she yelled back at him, she knew it was silly to run, but she was not about to take that fight any further. She didn't even have the intentions of hurting him, but he had gotten _way_ to close to her, and what he was telling her angered her like no other. What else could she have done? She sighed now as she opened her eyes; that was _not_ how she wanted her first smoking break in over half a year to go.

As quietly as she could as she crept towards her bedroom door, and she opened it as quietly as she could. She figured Joker must be in a very deep sleep if he did not even stir to Loc's screams and that door slamming shut, the vibrations from it rattling the walls. She continued to be as silent as she could as she took her knife out of her pocket, and she placed it on her end table before she went about searching for something to sleep in. A short few minutes later she frowned at herself in the full length mirror by her door. Her big, baggy black rock band shirt she wore looked bigger than ever, and she literally had to hold her gray pajama pants at her side to keep them from falling. It was unbelievable to her how much weight she had lost, and she knew that _none_ of her clothes would fit now. She debated on just leaving the pants off, but it was actually rather cold, and she didn't want to be stuck shivering all night. With a roll of her eyes she left the pants on, and she held them up on her waist as she made her way over to her bed once she had turned the light off. A loud, peaceful sigh escaped passed her as she laid her head on the pillow. Her bed was nearly twenty times more comfortable than the cot at Arkham and Joker's old bed combined. She closed her eyes, taking a moment to realize how good it felt to finally be back with Joker, despite her best efforts to still try and be mad at him...

–

Willow awoke the next morning feeling more rested and relaxed than she ever had. She laid in bed for a few moments, debating with herself on whether she should sleep longer or go make some coffee. Eventually the thought of enjoying her first cup of coffee in a long while overpowered her will to sleep, and she threw the covers over her. A chill ran all throughout her body, her room was rather cold. She sighed as she got up, figuring it was just a bad contrast to how warm and cozy her bed had been. Surely Joker was smart enough to put a heater in his apartment.

She turned towards her bed to pull the comforter up to at least make her room look half way decent, and she went around picking up her stray clothes and throwing them all in a pile, figuring she'd do some laundry later. And once her pajama pants started to fall from her hips for the sixth time since waking up, she reached down with a huff and took them off before she threw them into the pile. She was absolutely tired of none of her clothes fitting, and she wondered what she could, or what Joker would allow her to do about it. She paused just as she reached her door, wondering if she really wanted to go out there wearing nothing but her giant black t-shirt and a thong. She was in no mood to mess around with her pants, pulling them up every few seconds and having to stop what she was doing. Plus, she was a _little_ curious to see what Joker would do.

She slowly opened her door and crept out into the hallway. Joker's bedroom door was still closed, so she ventured out towards the kitchen. It felt odd going through the cabinets to find the necessary things she needed for the coffee, and she wondered how Joker would feel about it. She continued to set up the coffee maker, however, figuring that making coffee was an okay thing to do. After all, it was _Joker_ who had wanted her to come back. It wasn't like she had to twist his arm, begging him to let her.

Joker had just walked out his bedroom, fresh out of the shower. He scratched his head with his fingers to keep his drying hair from sticking flatly to it. He had slept fabulously, and was now in a rather good mood. He turned the corner and headed towards the entrance archway, only to pause before he could take a step inside. Bent directly before him was Willow, her black t-shit raised up as she reached for something on the bottom shelf of the fridge. Joker couldn't help but let his eyes wander up her slender legs, and he lingered on her exposed ass, just barely able to see that red thong poking out from underneath the shirt. But all too soon Willow was leaning back up to close the fridge, a container of creamer in her hand, she jumped once she turned around. She came to face a smirking Joker, his paint freshly done, and her lips parted slightly as she allowed her eyes to roam down Joker's body. He wore his usual blue button down shirt, only this time the shirt was undone, exposing the middle of his chest and his bellybutton. He wore his normal purple pants, the chain that usually hung from his pocket missing, and she noticed he was barefoot. Her eyes finally wondered back up and she looked into his eyes as she wondered what to say.

"Morning," she said in a quiet voice finally.

"Morning," Joker said in a low voice. He looked over to the coffee machine and noticed the coffee was just finished, the brown liquid as high as it could reach in the coffee pot, and he noticed two mugs sitting in front of it. "So, no _pants_ this morning?" He asked in a gruff voice, and Willow felt herself redden.

"Well, um..." she started. "None of my clothes fit..."

"And why ever not?" Joker asked as he went about pouring his own cup of coffee before he stepped to the side to let Willow make her own.

"I didn't eat much at Arkham," she explained.

"Oh," Joker said in a monotone voice. She remained silent, figuring he wasn't interested and she went about stirring in the vanilla creamer and one spoonful of sugar into her coffee. "Come and tell me _all_ about it," Joker said as he started out of the kitchen. Willow raised an eyebrow as she took a sip from her mug, taking a moment enjoy the taste, before she ventured out of the kitchen. She sat down in her normal spot on the couch, forgetting how comfortable it had been as Joker situated himself in his spot.

"So," Joker started as he crossed his leg, his ankle on his knee, and he looked over to her, unable to help but glance at her legs and notice how far back her shirt sat as she took another large sip from her mug. The liquid nearly burnt her tongue, she ignored the pain and went on to hungrily take another large sip. "Enjoying that coffee, are we?"

Willow looked over to him with a sloppy, embarrassed grin on her face that seemed to just say it all. Joker laughed slightly through his nose as he rolled his eyes.

"I'd hate to imagine how your first _cigarette_ went."

Willow nearly choked on her fourth sip of coffee now, and she tried hard to make it seem like everything was fine. _Yeah,_ _you would. _

"So tell me _everything_," Joker said now as he leaned into the corner of the couch, where the arm met the back cushion, and he stared intently at Willow as she finally forced herself to set the mug down on the coffee table. He watched with a slightly amused expression as Willow brought her knee's to her chest, and he was able to quickly see another flash of her ass before she placed the shirt over her legs, only her feet sticking out as her arms disappeared into the shirt as well. His eyebrows met in the middle as he looked over Willow again, who had transformed herself into a little black ball, complete with two feet and a head.

"Everything?" Willow asked as she looked over to him, ignoring his slightly confused face at her mechanism to warm herself. He finally nodded once, waiting for her to start talking, accepting her odd way of getting comfortable. He couldn't explain it, but he _was_ rather interested in what she had to say about her experience, if she was being truthful about it. But he knew when she was lying, he could tell when practically anybody was lying, so he knew he'd be getting the truth either way. Willow on the other hand thought of where to start as she wrapped her arms around her legs from within the shirt, or more importantly what to hold back. She wondered what his reaction would be if she told him about Jonathan, and she just _knew_ he'd forever mock her for her rather childish behavior she displayed while there. "Well..." she started finally as she thought of what to say. Joker noticed she was having a hard time, so he figured he'd start her off.

"Which holding area did they keep you in?" He asked.

"Um... B, I think," she answered. In Arkham they labeled their cell areas with letters. A-B were moderate criminals, while C-D were the more intense. Willow could only imagine where Joker had fallen.

"And did you have any friends?"

Willow paused at this, and she slowly shook her head.

"Willow, even _I_ had people I talked to there. So I _know_ you're lying. What was her name?" He asked, his tone suddenly bouncy. Willow would have smiled at this, but she was too busy trying to figure out what his reaction would be when he found it that Jonathan was, in fact, a _he_.

"Jonathan," she answered in a small voice, and Joker raised his eyebrows.

"You mean, little Willow had a _boyfriend_ while in the crazy house?" His eyes were wide with sarcasm, and to this Willow finally grinned and rolled her eyes.

"No," she said. "Just a friend. He... helped me out." She said. "He was once a doctor, and-"

"Wait, wait, _wait_," Joker interrupted as he held up his bare hand. "Was his last name... _Crane_?" He seemed to cringe as he said his name, and Willow slowly nodded. Now Joker rolled his eyes as he slouched his back dramatically, and Willow wondered why he was being so animated. "Well isn't it _such_ a small world..." he said in a bored tone now as he leaned back again.

"What's wrong?" Willow asked somewhat nervously, studying his every reaction, and she waited for him to turn angry. But his good mood seemed to stick around as he placed his elbow on the arm of the couch, waving his hand as he spoke.

"Oh, _nothing_," Joker growled. "He's just... a _very_ strange man."

"And you're not?" Willow shot back as she grinned slightly to show she was only kidding, and it relieved her when Joker laughed.

"I didn't say that," he said. As he pointed to her loosely. "I saw him on the news a few times. Thinking he was such a _big-shot_ doctor, and _so... sneaky _with the way he made the members of the mob go 'insane'," he held up quotations with his fingers as he continued to laugh. "Or, did he fail to mention this to you?"

"No, he told me," Willow said, not finding it to be as big of a deal as he currently did.

"Well, how did he _help_ you?" Joker went on to ask as he continued to grin and shake his head.

"He just, knew how the doctors there worked," she said. "He told me all I needed to know to get out of there as quickly as I could."

"_Really_?" Joker growled slightly now as he raised an eyebrow, still staring directly into her bright green eyes. "And what was that?"

"He told me that I should say what they _wanted_ to hear. That I had truly gotten over..." she paused, and Joker raised both his eyebrows again as he waited for her to go on.

"Gotten over... _me_?" He guessed, and Willow nodded. Joker smirked at this now. "Some deep, _annoying_ feeling in the pit of my stomach says you didn't," he added, and Willow felt dizzy.

_Obviously_, she thought, but instead she shook her head. "Not... exactly. I thought I had," she went on to truthfully say. "But I guess, I didn't." She looked away now, thinking back to what she had just said while Joker continued to evilly grin.

"Well I guess the _doctor_ did something right," he said, and Willow turned back to him. "What else did you do, besides converse with _Mister Crane_ and refuse to eat?"

"Not much," she said now. She slipped her arms through the shirt sleeves and she leaned over to the table to grab her mug. She took another large sip, Joker smirking at her all the while. "Talked to my doctor. Slept..."

"I have a hard time believing that," Joker said as he took a breath in. "What _aren't_ you telling me?"

It was on the tip of Willow's tongue to tell him what a wreck she had been over every, little thing. The small grin that slid onto her face didn't help matters, especially when she shyly turned her head away to hide it. But Joker had seen it, and this only proved his case even more.

"Well...?" He beckoned on, and Willow finally turned to him, making a point to stare at his knee.

"I guess you could say I was pretty... difficult."

"_Difficult_?" Joker asked. "How so?"

"I... freaked out... a lot." Willow nodded her head slightly as she looked up to Joker, who had risen an eyebrow, again.

"How so?" He asked, that eerie grin creeping up onto his face.

"They threatened to put me in a straightjacket," she said, as if it was most horrible thing on Earth, and Joker chuckled to this. "They said they'd have to keep me isolated."

"How sweet of them to _warn_ you," he said. "They put me in that damn thing the _second_ I was hauled through the doors." he shrugged now. "I liked it though. It was fun."

Willow wanted to ask him how, on any planet, he could think sitting all day in a straightjacket was _fun_, but Joker was quick to interrupt.

"So, it's safe to imagine... that when you found out that _those,_" he pointed to her shoulder, referring to her scars, "were gone, you threw a _fit, _yes?"

Willow slowly nodded. "Yeah," she said. "I kind of threw a fit over everything..." She finished off her coffee as the room turned silent. Joker continued to look at her, picturing in his mind how completely crazy Willow must have looked. He pictured her hair thrashing all around, and he pictured how loud her screams must have been. His grin widened as he wished he could have been there to see it, been able to seen how much he had taken a toll on this poor girl's life.

"That's funny," Joker finally spoke up, and Willow looked back to him.

"It is now," she mumbled. She stood up from the couch now, after she had fixed her shirt, and she rounded the corner to the kitchen. Joker took his own mug now, and took a few, large sips before he followed her into the kitchen, watching her for a second as she went about pouring herself some more coffee.

"Save some for tomorrow, kiddo," he said as he placed his mug into the sink. "And if you're going down for a cigarette, which I'm _sure_ is going to be your next move," he said with a roll of his eyes as he started towards the arch of the kitchen. "Tell Loc he needs to take a trip to the grocery store. There's a list on the table," he added. Willow grinned slightly, thankful that the hair in her face hid it from the Joker. She had a hard time picturing him sitting there, writing out a grocery list, and maybe even walking around the kitchen deciding what was gone that he needed more of. But hey, someone had to it. But on the other hand, she wasn't so happy about having to already face Loc, and so early in the morning. Her plan had been to quietly sneak passed his door, but Joker was quick to ruin that idea. But it wasn't like he knew what had happened...

Joker continued to watch her as she stirred the creamer into her coffee again, and his eyes traveled back down her bare legs before he forced them back up.

"We also need to do something about you're little _wardrobe malfunction_," he added and Willow turned to him, catching him eying her legs again. "Since it's getting rather _cold_."

She smiled slightly again as she turned back to her coffee, knowing the weather was really no concern to the issue. She could tell in Joker's tone that it wasn't what he had meant either, and a chill ran up her spine as she took a sip from her mug.

About a half hour later, after Willow had finished her coffee, she stood at the table as she took a cigarette from the pack. She had put her pajama pants back on; she was not about to go outside pant-less, especially if she had to talk to Loc. She sighed as she started down the stairs now, wishing that she wasn't the one who had to speak to Loc, especially after what had been the night before. She paused at his door and she sighed as she knocked on the it. A short second later the door open, and Loc scowled down at Willow. Now, his day had been ruined. She swallowed as she handed him the list, and she continued to look at the ground.

"Joker says you have to go to the store," she said, and she finally looked up to his face as he snatched the paper from her hands. Her breath hitched in her throat when she saw that horrible burn mark on his cheek, and she didn't realize she was staring until he spoke.

"Looks good, huh?" He finally asked as he continued to glare at her, and Willow finally tore her eyes from the mark to look into his. "I'm wondering what I can tell Joker," he added. "No, actually I'm wondering what _lie_ I can tell him, so he doesn't fucking_ kill me_," he spat. Willow scowled at him.

"Am I supposed to feel bad for you?" she asked. "Learn to leave me the fuck alone."

Loc continued to frown at her, his eyes narrowed. "I'll leave you alone when I'm _dead_," he said to her, and Willow rolled her eyes.

"Fine," she said as she raised her eyebrows. "I wonder what Joker's gonna do when I tell him." She now taunted as she turned around.

Loc's face fell from angered to slightly worried as he watched her head towards the door.

"I'm sure that burn won't seem so bad when he's done with you."

She sounded so _sure_ of herself, so cocky, and Loc _hated_ it. He glared at her before he finally stepped out of his room and he forced her to turn around.

"_Don't_ tell him," he said to her.

"You don't have a choice," she said. "I'm sick of you bothering me."

"That's what you resort to. _Telling_ on people, like a fucking child? That's cute. I mean that. Really proves how fucking _fake _you are."

Willow knew he was only trying to start an argument, and she rolled her eyes as she started away, finally stepping outside, and she tried hard not to shiver. _Talk about being childish_, she thought.

She noticed Loc was gone now after she had lit her cigarette, and she sat down on the porch, the air outside too cold to venture anywhere, especially since she didn't have a jacket. She wanted to tell Joker what he had done, and see him put an end to it once and for all, but at the same time, she didn't want to seem like such a bother on her first, _real_ day back. She hung her head as she thought of what to do. She figured maybe the threat of telling Joker alone would keep Loc from bothering her. She knew it was stupid to not tell Joker, but at the same time it made sense. Joker seemed to be in a pretty good mood upstairs, and she didn't want to be the one to ruin it. But at the same time she didn't want Joker to find out she had kept the issue from him, again. She took another long hit from her cigarette and quickly blew out the smoke, figuring she'd tell him later, and she made herself swear that she would.

–

After coming inside after her cigarette, the only thing on Willow's mind was taking a nice, hot shower. It was getting incredibly cold outside, and she knew she couldn't go on much longer without a coat, and she wondered if Joker had a spare one hanging around. She rolled her eyes with a smile as she walked into the bathroom once she noticed Joker was no where in sight. Already things seemed to be back on the track to normality.

She eagerly started the shower, excited to see that her fruity shampoos and conditioners were still on the rim of the tub. She undressed quickly, just about to step in the shower when her eyes fell over her breasts. She stared at them for a minute with a frown; they looked so odd without the jewelry that had once been there. She continued to idly stare at them, the thought crossing her mind on having Joker re-pierce them. She shuddered a second later, too worried about the pain. She finally forced herself to look away and she stepped into the shower, the warm water splashing down on her. She had never felt so relaxed.

As she worked her citrus scented shampoo into her hair, she debated with herself on the issue. She remembered how upset she had been when she was forced to take them out, and she knew she wasn't about to get back into dancing without them. She knew that if she really wanted to feel like her old self had been before Arkham, she'd need her piercing back. She took a deep breath as she titled her head back now, rinsing her long hair. She figured Joker would know what he was doing, and that he could probably have it done, all together, within a matter of minutes. Besides, it wasn't like she could go to a public piercer. Due to her state as missing since leaving Arkham, she was once again wanted by the city. She groaned out loud to herself.

After a long, soothing shower, and after she had shaved and washed her hair and body to perfection, she wrapped herself in a towel now. Her hair dripped onto her shoulders as she made her way out of the bathroom and into her room, and she sighed when she saw her big pile of laundry. She was forced to settle on wearing her giant t-shirt again and she put back on a pair of shorts she had stole from work. After she towel dried her hair, she let it sit over her shoulders, and she ventured out into the kitchen for a drink.

She sat down on the couch, arranging her pillows in her old-fashioned way, and after taking a large sip of her water, she set the glass down and reached for the remote. She slouched down a little, crossing her soft legs in front of her as she held up the remote. She pushed the power button, and grew confused when nothing happened. Irritated now, she continued to press the button rapidly and at all different pressures, thinking it would work the TV, but it didn't. She sighed as she turned the remote in her hands, opening the back; batteries were inside, and she raised an eyebrow now

Finally with a growl of her own she stood from the couch and took long strides to the TV. After searching around it for it's power button, she successfully found it located on the side, and sighed with a roll of her eyes when the TV did not turn on upon pushing it. She tried the cable box finally, and it refused to turn on as well.

Joker had just come from his office now, and upon hearing the door open Willow quickly looked over to him just as he had stopped to look at her.

"The TV doesn't work," she stated, and Joker chuckled at how irritated she sounded.

"I know," he said as he adjusted his tie, putting his chin in the air before he looked back down to Willow. "The boys got to fucking around with some wires, and now none of the TV's work."

Willow frowned, one of the largest Joker had seen yet, and he laughed again as he shook his head. "Looks like you're gonna have to entertain yourself some other way, lovey."

Willow continued to pout on the floor until she finally realized how silly she must look. She stood up finally and went to sit back down on her spot in the couch, hating the silence.

"Where are you going?" She finally asked as Joker walked passed her again towards the door.

"Places," he answered, and Willow sighed as she looked forward again.

"Hey I need to do some laundry," she said as as she quickly turned back around again.

"Okay," Joker said.

"Do I need change for it?" Willow asked.

"It might help," he answered smartly. Willow paused, hoping he'd take the hint. She watched as Joker put his coat on until finally she grew frustrated and she turned back around, only to smile a second later when she heard him drop a pile of quarters onto the table. Without a word Joker disappeared out the door, and she listened as he bounced down the stairs. She got up from the couch and walked over towards the living room window, stopping in front of it just in time to watch Joker make his way over to the cars. He walked slowly, talking long strides to them, and she watched as he opened the door of the black SUV. A second later the tail lights lit up, and she watched as he backed the truck up before he proceeded on down the dirt path, passed the open gate, and he turned left to vanish down the street.

Willow found herself wandering around the apartment most of the day, waiting for Joker to get home. She had cleaned up her room a little bit more, and had finally done that laundry, and now all that was left to do was wait for it to be done in the dryer. She had smoked a few cigarettes on the porch, arguing with herself over the piercing issue until finally she had come to a conclusion.

Willow had just been lying in her bed, absentmindedly staring up at the ceiling when she heard somebody walking up the stairs around four o' clock. She sat up once she heard the door open, only to freeze when Joker called her name.

"Oh, Willow dearest."

She slowly emerged out of her room, and she watched as Joker removed his gloves and coat just as he normal did.

"Yes?" She asked.

"Haven't I told you before to keep this door _locked_?" Willow thought back for a moment, not being able to remember if he had or had not.

"Loc came back with the groceries," she explained. "I took them and put them away." Joker didn't say anything to this, though it wasn't like Willow had been expecting a thank you. She watched as he made his way towards his bedroom, and she quickly stepped out into the hallway.

"Also..." she started, and Joker stopped dramatically before he turned on his heel to face the wall, and he looked behind his shoulder to stare at her. "I think I want to re-pierce... my nipples," she said in a small voice and she looked down slightly. A wide grin spread onto Joker's face as he now turned all the way around and he took a step towards her.

"_Really_," he growled. "Why the change of heart?" He titled his head to the side.

Willow shrugged as she looked back up to him. "I just do," she said. Joker continued staring at her a moment longer before he finally closed his eyes slowly to nod a few times.

"I need to make a few calls," he stated. "Then we'll go do it."

"Okay," Willow said, and she took a few deep, steadying breaths as she headed back into the living room, Joker going into his bedroom as she did.

A few short minutes later, once Willow had finally told herself that no matter what, she was going through with it and that she could no longer back down since she had already asked Joker, Joker came walking back down the hallway, a black cell phone in his hand.

"Joey says you don't have to go into work tonight," he said. "_If _you go back to dancing."

Willow's face fell into a frown and she rolled her eyes. "Seriously?" She asked. _What a dick_.

"Seriously," Joker repeated in a bored tone as he stared at her. He placed the cell phone on the table near the door and went about taking his jacket off finally.

Willow groaned again as she got off the arm of the couch. "What time?" she asked.

"Ten," Joker answered for her. A whole hour earlier than before. Willow groaned again as stood up straight now. "Is it really that bad?" Joker asked as he cocked an eyebrow at her, already starting to get annoyed at her attitude.

"No," Willow said truthfully. "I guess not."

"Then stop complaining," Joker said as he threw his gloves down on the table. "Let's go."

Without a word Willow followed him out of the apartment, and she closed the door behind her. She wondered exactly where they were heading as she followed Joker down the stairs, though instead of turning to Loc's door or going straight outside, they made an immediate left. Joker opened the white door that was there reveling a hallway that Willow could not remember ever seeing. The door closed behind her as she continued to stay behind Joker in the dimly lit hallway. It creeped her out, if she was being honest, and she figured all the rooms they were passing was where the rest of the thugs stayed. Once they had reached the end of the hallway, Joker turned to the left and started up a flight of stairs. At the top he opened the first door on the right, and allowed Willow to take a step in the dark room. She stared blindly ahead of her, wondering where they were now, and she squinted her eyes when Joker flipped on the blinding light, letting the door slam behind him.

Through her squinted eyes and the blinding light that seemed to make everything ten times more shiny and bright, she noticed they were in a sort of medical looking room, of sorts. Directly in front of her sat a long, metal table, and directly behind it, where Joker was now headed, was a long counter with a series of black cabinets on it and above it in their own separate row. The white, tile floors shone brightly due to the giant, glaring lights over head.

Now she looked down to Joker, his back to her, as he easily reached up into a cabinet to bring down a small, green, plastic box. She continued to stand there as she watched Joker now place the box on the metal table. This room seemed so familiar, but she couldn't quite place her finger on it. As far as she knew she had never been in the room before.

"C'mere," Joker said , not even bothering to look at her as he rummaged through the box. Willow did as she was told and took a step over to him, still not exactly at the table where he was. She watched as he placed a rather long looking needle on the table and some sort of disinfectant spray next to it before he placed two barbells next to the spray along with some odd looking tool, and she wondered why he had all this. She swallowed as he closed the green box, and she watched as he headed back over to the counters. He ripped off a piece of paper towel and held it as he rummaged around another drawer, and finally he turned around holding a blue marker.

He placed the items on the table by the needle and he turned to Willow, taking a step closer to her as he pushed up his shirt sleeves.

"Take your shirt off," he commanded, and suddenly Willow froze, her breath caught in her throat. She hadn't even _thought _of that part. She felt somewhat dizzy now as she tried to think of a way she could get out of it; she didn't need them pierced _that_ bad. She continued to stare at him with wide eyes, her lips slightly parted. Joker cocked an eyebrow, and he took another step closer to her. By the look on her face he knew what her dilemma was, but at the moment he didn't really care. He cleared his throat, waiting as he stood directly in front of her. "I can't pierce them through your shirt, toots," he said as he tilted his head to the side, and he grinned at her, his smile wide, and Willow studied those dimples on either side of it before she raised her eyes back up to meet his. She swallowed once more before she looked down, and she slowly slid her shirt up and off her, and she dropped it right next to her on the floor. Joker's eyes wondered down before they looked back up to hers, and he grinned again, indicating she had to take off the bra. She sighed now as she reached behind her back, undoing the clasp, and she let it fall in front of her. She looked up to him now as she thinned her lips and raised her eyebrows.

"_Very_ nice," Joker growled, and he turned to head back towards the table. He looked back over to her and motioned her over with his finger, and she slowly stepped over to him. He sprayed the disinfectant onto the paper towel before he turned to her and Willow held her breath as he wiped the paper towel over her right nipple before the left. She stared dead ahead, where the wall met the ceiling, trying to ignore how cold the disinfectant was. Finally he tossed the paper towel onto the table, and she looked down, sighing quietly at how erect her nipples now were. She felt so odd standing there like that. Had they been doing this before she went to Arkham she knew the circumstances would be different. But right now she felt completely awkward, and almost violated. But she reminded herself that it was _her_ choice to get it done. Joker was simple just helping her out, or so she thought.

"Stand straight," he told her now, and she noticed he was holding the marker. A look of confusion overcame her face but she did what he had commanded, and straightened her back. "Shoulders back," he added as he uncapped the marker. Willow brought her shoulders back, trying to stand as still as she possibly could. She thought it odd that Joker was doing the complete procedure she had gone through when she had gotten them professionally done. She figured he would simply just pierce both of them, now caring how even they were or how clean, just to get it over with. She she watched Joker's concentrated face as he bent down, and a shiver ran through her spine as he marked them up on each side with a little dot, indicating where the needle should go through. He capped the marker now as he turned back to the table. If he was going to go completely by the procedure she had gone though, she knew her next move was to lay down on the rather cold looking table. She stared at it, getting more and more nervous about the pain she was about to undergo. Joker patting the table snapped her out of her daze, and she quickly hopped onto it, the metal freezing against her legs. She placed her palms on either side of the table as she watched Joker pick up the needle.

"Shouldn't we numb them first?" she asked, her voice slightly quivering, and Joker rolled his eyes.

"No," he answered simply, sounding a little bit grouchy. Willow sighed as she looked away, and Joker looked over to her, an idea forming in his head. "I can honestly tell you it's not going to be as bad as your letting yourself _think_ it is," he told her in a flat voice. "_But _since I can see how _scared_ you are..."

Willow was about to protest to what he had just said, but remained quiet as she watched him pull up a large, black chair close to the table. Needle still in hand, he sat down in it and looked up to her from where she sat on the table. He grinned deviously as he patted his knee, and nervousness ran through her as her eyes widened. The situation seem to go from awkward to creepy in a matter of seconds and her heart pounded roughly against her. She bit her lip; she was in no mood to anger Joker, so she got down from the table and slowly sat down on his lap, facing him with her legs on either side of his. Joker traced his tongue along his left scar from inside his mouth as he gently grabbed her hips and he pulled her further onto him, enjoying Willow's slightly frightened face. He then put his hands on her shoulders and gently pushed her back a few inches so she could rest her back against the table directly behind her.

"Ready?" He asked as he looked into her eyes, smirking at her before he reached around her to pick up what Willow recognized as a tool used to clamp the skin around her nipple to easily guide the needle, and she shuddered upon seeing it.

"No," Willow mumbled. Joker only grinned and shook his head at this, and her breath hitched in her throat again as she watched him look back down to her chest. He rotated the needle around between his fingers as he thought of which one to do first. The room was deathly quiet as Willow continued to watch him. She hated herself for it, but she couldn't help but to feel a little more at ease sitting on his lap like that. She thought back to how he had kissed her before she had left with him at his old apartment, and now it was the only thing she could think of doing.

Her lips parted slightly as Joker leaned forward a little, and she watched his face, noticing how relaxed he seemed. She bit her lip now as Joker used the instrument to clamp her skin. She wanted to look away, but she felt frozen on the spot, and her eyes widened slightly as she watched Joker advance with the needle.

"Take a deep breath," he said in that clowny voice, and just as Willow took a deep breath in Joker pushed the needle through, instantly looking up to study her reaction. She closed her tightly as she gasped out, her head titled back and Joker laughed out from his nose, the noises deep. Willow took another breath in and out as she looked back down to him, her nipple stinging badly. She swallowed and bit her lip as he now pushed the jewelery in as he took the needle out, and he quick screwed back on the ball.

"Was that so bad?" He asked. "_Honestly_?"

"Yes," Willow mumbled as she looked into his eyes, and her stomach fluttered when she saw the blue in them, shining brightly due to the lights. Her lips parted slightly as she continued to look into them; it had been so long since she had seen the color in them, so long she had almost forgotten it existed. He rolled his eyes as he reached behind her for that paper towel and he pressed it against her to clean off some of the blood that formed around the ring. He put it on the table again after wiping off the needle, and Willow held her breath as he prepared to do the left one now. He touched the tip of the needle to the side of it before he glanced up at her with only his eyes. She continued to look into his.

"The second one always hurts the most," she said, her voice low.

"I wouldn't know," Joker said as he grinned, causing Willow to only frown more. Her heart continued to race as she continued to look at him before her eyes dropped down to his painted lips, the red smeared again all over his chin. Joker bit down on his left scar as he dropped his eyes to study the placement of the needle before he looked back up to hers. Without another word he leaned forward, pressing his lips against Willow's. Butterflies started in her stomach and the biggest shock of all ran up Willow's spine as she closed her eyes, moaning slightly against his lips. As she started to recover from the shock she finally kissed him back, not caring what his intentions were on doing it. His eyes still closed, she felt him grin and chuckle against her lips evilly, and before she could wonder why she felt that damn needle go through her skin. She sighed loudly as she titled her head back again, smearing some of the red paint onto her own chin as it rubbed against Joker's skin, Joker continuing to evilly laugh as he went about placing the jewelry in. Willow continued to deeply breathe, understanding now what that kiss was for: a distraction.

She continued to watch Joker as she remained on his lap. He continued to grin at her, everything seeming to move in slow motion, and all she could think about was kissing him again. Dizziness washed over her as she watched Joker touch his finger to her freshly pierced nipple where blood started to form, and her lips parted and her eyebrows met in the middle as he touched the tip of his finger to his tongue as he stared intently into her eyes, licking blood off from it. Goosebumps erupted all over her arms at his insanely _creepy_ act, but at the same time she couldn't help but feel a _little_ turned on, and she knew she'd never be able to explain why. That sinister grin widened on Joker's face as he pulled her hips closer to his before he slid his hands up her sides, the cold instruments still in his hands, and he leaned in to kiss her again. Willow felt as though she couldn't breathe correctly as she kissed him back, sliding her hands up his chest to rest where his neck met his shoulders. Joker slid his hands back down and he squeezed gently on her hips as his tongue traced her bottom lip. Willow moaned slightly as she opened her mouth to trace her tongue against his, and Joker growled slightly as he placed his hand on her back to force her even closer to him, her chest right against his. Her breasts hurt and stung, but she ignored it, the urge to continue to kiss him too strong. She brought her hands up into his hair, and she raked her nails against his scalp as she tangled his hair in between her fingers, and she gently pulled it, grinning slightly as Joker growled louder.

"Better be careful," he warned now pausing the kiss for a moment to speak, his voice low. "You wouldn't want to take this any _further_, would you?"

Willow kissed him once more before realization struck her, and she pulled away, keeping her forehead against his. He looked down to her lips, noticing how they were stained in red, as was some of her chin, before he looked back up to hers.

"Thank you," she said, smiling slightly as Joker grinned again, and she closed her eyes as she leaned off of him. Joker continued to hold her hips, and Willow was unsure of what to do or what he wanted her to do. All she knew is she really didn't want to take things to another level at that moment, though her body was in deep disagreement with her thoughts. Her body trembled slightly, her heart raced, and she felt slightly dizzy, but her mind continued to force her to stay still.

Joker shrugged now, as if saying it was no big deal, but to Willow it had been, or at least that kiss had been. She considered kissing him again but instead forced herself to keep her body leaning away from him and she watched as Joker looked down to her chest, studying it for a moment, admiring his work, before he looked back up to her.

"Smoke with me?" She asked, smiling slightly. Joker continued to stare at her, getting slightly annoyed with how big the urge was to just kiss her again.

"Sure," he grumbled finally, and Willow's smile widened as she finally forced herself off his lap. Joker closed his eyes tightly and shook his head as Willow went about picking her clothes up off the floor as if trying to shake off the weird emotions he was feeling. He finally stood up from the chair and licked his lips slowly before he started to clean up, tossing the needle in the trash next to the table.

**Sorry for the wait. I can't thank you all enough for the reviews! Please, keep them coming! I wanna know specifically what you liked! :D**


	6. The Good Side Of Things

The week seemed to pass Willow by rather quickly, and as she looked back she wondered what she had been spending most of her time doing. Every night she went to work, and found herself rushing the hours by so she could get home and sleep. She wasn't sure how much longer she could stand to work with Britney, and she wasn't sure how much longer she could take Joey bothering her about dancing. He was desperate to the point where he even had asked Joker to talk about it to her. All she could do was shrug them both off. She'd dance when she was ready to.

At home she found herself eating a lot, secretly desperate to gain a _little_ more weight back at least to the point where her clothes would fit better. She hadn't seen Loc the entire week, which made her happy; she could finally smoke in peace. But due to the TV being broke, she found herself in her room a ton, just laying in her bed, thinking while she played with her knife, listening to Joker's new habit of playing music from within his office. He seemed to play a little bit of everything, and Willow even recognized some of the songs as the ones that she discovered on that CD. She didn't understand why he was playing music all the time, but it seemed to keep him in more of a better mood in general, and it gave her something to listen to when she was stuck doing nothing.

Now she had just finished tying on her apron in her room for work. She sighed loudly as she ran her hands through her tangled hair, looking at her reflection in the mirror. Her make-up was smeared slightly and her hair tangled every which way, and the long apron completely covered up her shorts and tank top, but she didn't care. She was already tired enough, and though she wasn't in the mood to deal with Britney, she felt she had gotten pretty good at ignoring her.

She walked out of her bedroom, staring at her feet as she went, and she failed to notice Joker waiting for her at the door. She looked up at him once she reached the door, and he grinned at her. She noticed he was wearing his usual purple trench coat, but instead wore a gray button down, un-tucked shirt and black dress pants.

"I've got nothing else to do," he said with a shrug, and Willow grinned slightly as she started out the door, Joker locking it behind him.

The club was bustling as always, and Willow already felt herself start to get a headache once she stepped inside. Joker looked around for a moment before he noticed Willow was already stepping behind the counter of the bar and he started over as well.

"You're late," Britney said as she glared at her, her hands on her hips. "And oh my _God!_ After almost a _month_ and you _still_ come to work looking like a damn-"

She stopped short when she finally noticed Joker leaning against the bar, his arms folded on top of the counter. He grinned widely as he cocked his head to the side, staring intently into Britney's big eyes, the dim lights from above shadowing his face dramatically, causing the black rings around his eyes to appear larger and travel downward farther.

"Look like a damn _what_, exactly?" He asked in a growl. Britney's heart pounded against her chest as she stood there, frozen on the spot, unable to breath . Willow smiled slightly as she leaned against the shelves behind her, enjoying her nervous state that Joker could so easily bring on.

"Don't lie to me _Britney_," he said, still eerily growling. "I have a _great_ _talent _of knowing when people are _lying_." He looked over to Willow and winked before he looked back over to Britney who was stuttering now. Butterflies started in Willow's stomach as she waited for Britney to answer.

"A-a stripper..." she finally answered quietly, and Willow rolled her eyes as Joker laughed.

"Well isn't _that_ insulting..." Joker mumbled as he waved his hand in the air with a roll of his eyes. Britney continued to shudder as she stared at the Joker. Finally Willow stepped to the side and she grinned as she watched Britney quickly walk further into the club and disappear behind a stage for safety. Willow shook her head with a roll of her eyes as she turned to Joker.

"You're welcome," Joker said smartly as his grin widened.

"She wasn't bothering me," Willow said. "She always says shit like that."

"I can tell how _annoyed_ you already are. I was just simply trying to do you a _favor_, but now that I see how _ungrateful_ you are towards my _kindness_..."

Willow smiled again as she rolled her eyes, amazed at how easy it was for the Joker, when not even trying, to make her feel better. Just when she figured it was going to be an okay night, she spotted Joey making his way over towards them, and she couldn't help but sigh.

"_Joseph_!" Joker cried as he turned around to face his friend, and Joey rolled his eyes with a frown.

"It's 'Joey'man," he said. "You are _not_ my mother so quit with that."

Joker laughed as he leaned his side on the counter, and Willow found it strange at how good of a mood Joker was in. She continued to dry the glass in her hands as she eyed both men, Joker grinning as Joey scowled.

"I'm _so_ glad to see you both all happy again," Joey said in a rather rushed way, and Willow cocked an eyebrow as she set the glass down before she picked another one up. "Really, it's great. Willow I _need_ you to go back to dancing." He sounded desperate and Willow's eyes widened as Joey slammed his hands on the counter and he leaned over them, his eyebrows raised. Joker smirked at him before he turned his head to her, his body still facing Joey.

"He's _desperate_, Willow," he said in that flat, clowny voice. "Help a guy out," he added and he grinned at Joey when he turned to face him, an even bigger scowl on his face.

"Man if you don't shut up, I swear..." Joey shook his head as he leaned back now. "Why _are_ you in such a good mood?" Joey asked now, confusion in his voice. Joker shrugged as his answer, and Joey rolled his eyes as he turned back to Willow, his eyebrows raised again as he slightly tilted his head to the side, leaning over the counter. "Look, I'm not playin' girl! I _need_ you start dancing."

"Why?" Willow asked as she picked up another glass to slowly dry it.

"I can't hear Britney complain anymore," he said. "And you're probably the worst bartender in Gotham right now, ya feel me?"

"Hey!" Willow said as her eyebrows met in the middle, and she felt like throwing the glass in her hands at Joker as he laughed at her, having the nerve to actually point at her as he did.

"It's true!" Joey said, his voice gruff. "As your _boss_, I'm telling you to go get naked on that stage right now!"

Willow's eyes widened even more as Joker continued to chuckle, shaking his head as he did.

"_So_ professional, _Joseph_," Joker growled as he leaned off the counter. Joey turned back to him to point a finger in his direction.

"Man, you better-"

"I'm going, I'm going," Joker said as he held his glove-less hands up. He grinned at Willow before he headed towards the private area without another word. She watched him go, wondering where he was going when Joey's fingers snapping in her face caused her to exit her trance.

"Willow, please," he said now. "Jack says you got your titties re-pierced and everything. What's the damn hold up?"

Willow's jaw dropped as she stared at him. "I- I don't know," she stuttered. "I just... don't feel ready."

Joey rolled his eyes. "You're _killing_ me," he said. "I mean it. If I hear _one_ more person talking about your solo dances, _I'm_ going to go on a murdering spree, ya feel me?"

"Yes," Willow sighed. "But Joey, I-"

"I don't wanna hear it," he said as he held his hand up. "I don't want to fire you from bartending, and I don't want to force you to do something you don't want, but you gotta understand my club comes first, ya dig? And as the owner I need to make sure I got the best of the best, all the way around. That includes bartending," he added flatly.

Willow sighed as she threw the cloth onto the counter. "Can I think about it?" She asked, mainly to just get him to go away. Joey sighed now as he shook his head.

"I need an answer by tomorrow," he said. "I dig ya Willow, especially since you're with Jack, and the fact that he hasn't killed you yet is a big deal, but like I said, the club comes first."

"Yup." Willow said in a very expressionless tone, and once Joey realized he wasn't going to get any further with her in this conversation, he shook his head once more before he stalked off back towards his office. He threw back the red curtain and stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Joker standing right in front of him, admiring a painting on the wall. Joey cocked an eyebrow, getting slightly annoyed with the good mood Joker was in. While he wondered why the _fuck_ Joker was staring up at the painting of wolves on the wall, his hands together behind his back, his head slightly cocked, Joey was in no mood to be mimicked by his friend.

"Don't you think this painting is _truly_ symbolic, _Joseph_?" Joker asked, not bothering to look over to Joey. Joey mouthed the word 'what?' to himself as he furrowed his eyebrows, and he looked at the painting Joker was looking at. One wolf stood on a cliff in the top middle of the canvas, while another wolf was pictured running off, face-on, on the bottom left, his somewhat evil looking eyes glowing yellow.

"Man you need to talk to her about dancing," he said, ignoring Joker's question as he stepped over to him. Joker looked over to his friend as he crossed his arms in front of him now. "And _stop_ acting weird!" He added as he now started towards the stairs. "That painting is _not_ symbolic."

"What makes you think she'll listen to me?" Joker called after him a small smirk playing on his face as he now ignored Joey's remark.

"Man why _wouldn't_ she listen to you?" Joey called back before he disappeared around the corner of the stairs. Joker grinned and shook his head, before he turned back to the painting.

–

The night didn't seem to move along fast enough for Willow. The club was ridiculously crowded and bar was swamped with men, shouting out drink orders. Britney seemed at ease, but Willow moved quickly with shaky hands, glancing up every now and again, hoping she'd see Joker and have an excuse to leave, her reason being that Joker had beckoned her over and she did not want to keep him waiting in fear of angering him. But she didn't see much of Joker, and she couldn't help the sloppy grin that always formed on her face when she did. For the three hours she was there, she'd only ever see him wandering about, looking at things that most other people probably didn't care to look at or notice, such as the wooden ceiling beams, the paintings and pictures, and at one point she even caught him studying the detail on the wallpaper. She wanted to know why, exactly, he was acting so strangely, but all she could do was shrug it off and accept there was no logical reason.

At one point she had caught him standing near the curtain of the private room, staring up at the stage next to it. Willow watched him, feeling slightly annoyed at how he seemed to watching the dancers there without blinking, his head cocked to the side as if profoundly studying them. Willow narrowed her eyes on him and looked over to the dancers; she knew she was better than them, and for a moment she actually felt somewhat jealous. This emotion only forced her to think about going back to dancing, but upon further thought, she was still convinced she had lost all of her 'talent', and instead she worried about how she was going to break the news to Joey the following night.

Around one in the morning Britney dismissed Willow, claiming she was only slowing her down. Willow didn't argue and instead put her apron away and met Joker in the TT.

Now Willow sat at the couch, still in her shorts and tank top. Her eyes were closed as she listened to Joker's blaring music from behind his office door, and she idly tapped her foot along to the guitar of the rock song. She yawned a moment later, and her eyes snapped open with a start when Joker's door suddenly opened. She leaned up and looked over the top of the couch and watched as he headed into the kitchen, humming along to the song. She listened as Joker got himself a glass of water, and he emerged out of the kitchen a short moment later.

"What are you telling Joey tomorrow?" He asked. His tone was back to normal. It no longer held that happy, clowny element, and was now deep and flat. Willow wanted to ask him what his deal had been earlier, but she decided against it. It had been rather amusing, and she had a feeling if she called him out on it, he would make it a goal to suppress his good moods when around her.

"I don't know," she answered. "Probably that I'm not going to dance."

"Why?" Joker asked after he had taken a sip from his glass. "What's holding you back?"

_Why do you care_? Willow wondered to herself as her eyes fell from Jokers, and she stared at his shoes for a moment. "I just... feel like I can't."

"I imagine it's not _hard_," Joker said. Willow sighed as she looked back up to him. It wasn't all fun and games either. Joker could see the slight anger in her eyes and he chuckled to himself. He could tell Willow was still passionate about it, and he _knew_ she had once enjoyed it. Truthfully he would have liked to see her go back to dancing. Not only would Joey calm down and stop bothering him about it, but admittedly he had enjoyed watching her. "I bet you can't give me a _successful_ lap dance to the next song that comes on," Joker bet as he pointed with his thumb behind him towards his office. A look of confusion washed over Willow's face as she slightly titled her head back.

"What?" She asked. Joker sighed.

"If you can't give me a good lap dance, right now, then I'll tell Joey to drop the issue, once and for all. _But_..." he went on to say as he took a step closer to Willow. His tone dropped and octave and he titled his head down slightly. "If you _can_, then you have to go back to stripping _tomorrow_."

Willow's breath hitched in her throat. She felt nervous, but at the same time a big part of her wanted to accept his challenge.

"Never mind," Joker suddenly said. "I bet you _can't_ do it," he added smartly as he started towards his office now, the rock song coming to an end as he turned his back to her to head inside.

"No," Willow quickly said. Her heart raced and the room spun, but now it was too late to take it back. Joker stopped in his tracks and an evil smile crept onto his face. He had got her. He turned to her slowly now.

"I'll do it," Willow said as she stood up now, and Joker took a minute to eye her up and down. Willow noticed this and she cocked her hip to the side. "But we play by the _club_ rules," she said sternly. "_No_ touching. At all."

Joker raised his eye brows, exposing those wrinkles on his painted forehead, as he held his hands up, the glass of water still clutched in his left. "You drive a _hard_ bargain," he said sarcastically with a smirk. "But I accept. Step into my office," he added with a hiss.

Willow swallowed as she followed into him into the room. She took a short moment to look around, but found it hard to pay attention to detail as she watched Joker start towards an armless, gray chair sitting against the wall by the stereo. It seemed as though she had finally realized what she had agreed to do, but she reminded herself she didn't have to take anything off. It was only a lap dance, a way to prove to herself _and_ Joker that she still had it in her. She took a deep breath. She could do this.

Joker put his glass down on the floor in front of the stereo and grinned at her. "Ready?"

Willow nodded to him slowly, finally the last chord on the guitar had been struck, and she anticipated the song that was going to come on. With her luck, she knew it would be some odd reggae styled song that would harder to dance to. The last thing she wanted was to embarrass herself in front of the Joker. She gave very few lap dances at Line of Jewels, and the dances she gave at Midnight Misses were to rather slow songs. She thought back to the dance she had given him upon their first meeting. That had gone well, but then again she had no idea it was him.

But just as she had stepped over to where Joker sat, she instantly recognized the song that had come on as one of Joker's favorites by an artist who called himself Gorilla Zoe. She grinned to herself, thankful this song had chosen to come on, and she now felt somewhat confident. She knew the song's beat was to start after the rapping in the beginning, and she got herself in the zone, getting closer to Joker. Her heart pounded nervously, and she reminded herself it was best to just go all out. There was no way to ease herself into it. She was going to have to pretend there was no much thing as feeling awkward.

Joker stared expectantly up at her as he bit down on both his scars, parting his lips slightly, his eyes dark. His heart raced with anticipation, waiting for beat of the song to instantly start. His eyes roamed down Willow's body, slowly, until they bounced back up to her face. He released the scars from his teeth and stared directly in her green eyes, which seemed to suddenly burning with something he hadn't seen in them for a while: desire.

With the last words being said, Willow placed either of her legs over his, standing over him, and she flashed him a sexy grin before the bass line fell suddenly, and she plummeted deep into his lap, instantly moving her hips side to side to the bass. Joker's eye's widened slightly, and confessedly it took everything in him to keep his hands at his side, and he clutched the back legs of the chair.

Willow leaned off him some but kept her hips swinging dangerously close to his. She maintained eye contact with him, butterflies whirling in her stomach when Joker grinned at her. She stood suddenly and spun around to the beat before she lowered herself onto his lap completely, moving her hips back and forth as she dug her ass onto his crotch. Joker closed his eyes and tilted his head back before he looked back down, watching her ass as she danced.

Really feeling the music now and practically forgetting who she was dancing for, Willow turned around again. She looked down at him as she placed her hands on either side of the wall, spreading her legs as if she was about to get patted down for a search, and she dipped her back, bringing her boobs dangerously close to his face. Joker grinned as he bit his lip before Willow suddenly felt his cold tongue trace against her cleavage, and she couldn't help but groan slightly. About a short minute later she leaned off the wall, still looking at him as she parked herself into his lap again. She continued to move her hips, Joker noticed it was more to the drum beat now, and he watched her intently as she grabbed the bottom on her shirt, her arms forming an 'X' in front of her. She smirked as she peeled off her shirt and tossed it behind her, Joker's eyes instantly roaming down as he continued to try and keep his cool. She stood from him again and continued to grind her hips to the beat in front of him, teasing him, and she knew it was working. She knew Joker to be growling from within himself, waiting for her to sit back on him, and she knew if she didn't soon he'd probably break their rule and grab her. At least, that's what she _hoped_ was going on with him.

She had no idea how right she was. Despite his best efforts, Joker's knee started to bounce as he watched her dance in front of him. His eyes came to stare at that black bra again, and all he wanted to do was cut it off of her. Every time she turned her ass was just _barely_ peeking out from the bottom of those tight shorts, and it was starting to drive him a little crazy. His hand twitched slightly and he gripped the leg of the chair again, tighter than before. Willow hovered over him again, finally, and she placed her hands on the wall again for support as she brought her breasts close to his head again. She dipped down low and practically rubbed them against his face, repeating the action. She knew the last verse of the song to be starting, but she was sort of having fun with his.

So fun, in fact, she failed to notice Joker had slyly reached into his pocket to draw out his favorite knife with his left hand. He flicked it open, the music drowning out the sound. Willow's eyes had been closed all the while, and they opened with a start when she suddenly felt Joker place his hands on her hips, the blade cold against her skin. He wasn't playing by the 'club' rules anymore... He was making his own.

Willow's jaw dropped slightly as he pulled her back into his lap, forcing her even closer to him, and she repaid this by grinding herself into his crotch as hard and slowly as she could, the bass from the stereo vibrating the floor which in turn was vibrating the chair as well. Joker growled as he brought up his knife to her, Willow eying it somewhat nervously as she tired hard not to let it affect her dancing. She continued to grind into him, leaning back slightly so he had a better few of her body. She watched as he brought the knife up to her thin bra, and with ease he brought the blade up, slicing it right in half. Willow's heart pounded so hard she was sure it was about to break right through her chest, but she kept as calm as she could, and stared into his eyes as she brought the straps off her shoulders and she tossed it behind her.

Joker grinned as he placed his knife in his mouth, biting the blade between his teeth as clutched her hips again, staring at her freshly pierced nipples. He allowed Willow to stand and turn around for the final part of the song. She sat back on his lap and held her arms straight in front of her as she slowly and sensually moved her hips on him again to the base in tight circles, and she couldn't help the moan that escaped passed her when Joker's hands came to grab both her breasts from behind. She bit her lip as she continued work her hips on him, and she grinned as she bent her arms at the elbows, raising them up slightly. Joker grinned and laughed slightly from behind her, knife still between his teeth as he brought his hands down from her breasts back down her hips, his rough hands never leaving contact with her skin.

The song, which was ending now, was at Willow's favorite part, where the only word spoken and repeated was 'yeah', said in a deep almost raspy tone; it reminded her of Joker. She closed her eyes as she grinned to herself. _Yeah_, she thought to herself. She felt rather good suddenly, and much awake, and she found herself not wanting the song to end.

The song ended abruptly it seemed however, and Willow opened her eyes, somewhat frozen on the spot. She breathed deeply as she looked down, it seeming as though she had just woken from a dream that had come to life. She finally leaned off of him and turned as she stood up, feeling starting to come back to her body, and she finally realized how badly her nipples hurt and stung. She looked at Joker with wide eyes, finally noticing how he had placed his knife between his teeth. He removed it however and stood up; something didn't seem right. His head was bowed as he looked at her from under the ridge of his eyebrows. He felt hot, and could feel sweat building from beneath his shirt, and the room spun slightly. He was slightly angry, for he was_ not_ supposed to be having these sudden urges because of this, but he felt _almost_ as if he couldn't control himself, especially if Willow was to continue being in the same room as him. Willow watched him as she crossed her arms in front of her, a way of trying to hide her exposed torso from him as he took a step closer to her. He grinned slightly before he licked his lips, and Willow waited for him to suddenly pounce on her angrily. She felt as if she was going to pass out as she waited anxiously for something to happen, and without realizing she took a step back. Had it been that bad?

"You better get out of here," he warned, his voice deep and raspy. Willow swallowed but she couldn't help but grin, finally realizing what was up. Joker raised his eyebrows as he looked at her. It was on the tip of his tongue to compliment her, tell her how unfortunately _great_ that dance had been but he forced it back. Without a word, but still grinning slightly, Willow collected her clothes from the floor and started towards the door.

"And for the record," Joker said as he finally stood up straight now. "You start dancing, _tomorrow_," he said. Willow smiled widely; to her ears Joker had just told her she had obviously done a pretty good job. She eyed him one more time before she finally started out of his office, closing the door behind her.

–

Rain poured harshly onto the streets of Gotham the following night. The clouds covered the moon and stars, leaving the night darker than ever. Willow had just made her way to the back of the stage, leaving Joker to go wander around somewhere, and her heart pounded slightly as she walked through the narrow hallway. She couldn't help but smirk at all the girls that gawked at her in the dressing room, however, ignoring their hushed tones as they leaned in and pondered '_what is __**she**__ doing back here_?' Willow took it as encouragement as she went to pick out an outfit, bothering everyone even more by not looking at them or saying a word. She just merely smiled to herself as she went through one of the metal rack of the clothes.

A few moments later, just after Willow had slid on a white g-string, the door at the end of the long room was suddenly thrown open, and Willow heard clicking heels on the floor as dancers all moved to the side.

"You guys are _killin'_ me!"

She turned upon recognizing Joey's voice and she watched as he somewhat angrily stalked into the room, all the girls pushed against the wall to let him through the narrow and hot space. Two other girls, however, were following him, a somewhat sad and frightened look on their faces. Willow held up the white and black bra she had chosen against herself as she full on faced Joey now. His head was down, his eyebrows furrowed, and he face slightly reddened. He held up a hand into the air before it came crashing back down at his side and he turned, looking at the two girls now.

"It's been two _weeks_ since I've gotten your cut," he started. "_Two weeks. _Where is my money?"

Both of the girls cowered as as they stared up at him.

"Joey, we-"

"I know, I've heard it," he interrupted flatly, his voice gruff. "Look I was nice, okay? I let you keep all that you made so you could pay your rent, feed your little rat dogs, _whatever_. I'm done being nice. Give me my pay cut, or you can't dance here anymore, ya dig?"

Willow raised an eyebrow. _Pay cut_? Joey had never asked her to give her a cut of what she had made each night. _Weird_, she thought.

"Joey, p-please," they started. Joey growled and rolled his eyes as he started to turn around.

"Come up with the money by _tomorrow_ or you're done. I swear it." Both of the girls instantly hurried away as the rest of the dancers in the room nervously stared at their boss, of sorts. The red in his face seemed to start to disappear, and he jumped slightly when he saw Willow standing in front of him. A small grin crept into both of their faces as Joey eyed her up and down, his eyes lingering on the bra she held against her self with her arm.

"Girl you serious?" He asked loudly as he finally stepped up to her. Willow's grin widened into a full on smile as she nodded. Joey smiled widely at her as well as he placed his hand on her back. "It's about _time_," he said. "Why the change of heart?"

"I, um..." Willow started. "Just, because." She laughed slightly.

"Jack have something to do with it?" Joey asked with a perverted grin. Willow blushed slightly and nodded as she look down, more than half of the girls rolling their eyes as they started back to what they had been doing.

"Well, whatever," Joey said as he removed his hand from her back. "It's about time. Nadine, take a break. Willow's taking your spot."

"_What! _Why?" She cried. It almost looked as though she was about to burst into tears. "Because Willow hasn't danced in a while, and I'd like her to get back into it, quickly," he explained. "Look, do this for me and I'll wave your cut for _tonight,_ right?"

The girl looked down, and Willow could have sworn she heard her sniffle _Seriously?_ Willow wondered to herself, and she rolled her eyes.

"A lot of you are seeming to forget I'm trying to run a _business_," Joey started as he started out. "It's a _privilege_ for you all to be dancing here," he added.

"Hey, don't talk to _us_ 'bout pay cuts and privileges," a black girl Willow knew as Whitney quickly spoke up as she waved her finger in front of her face, her lips pursed. Joey stopped and turned to face her. "Talk to the girls in dressin' room B. Some of the girls in there are getting' free drinks from _Britney_," she spat her name. Joey raised an eyebrow and Willow looked from Whitney to Joey.

"Why am I just hearing about this now?" Joey inquired with a sigh.

"We just found out about it the other night," Whitney said with a shrug.

"Who?" Joey asked.

"Me, Jessica, Jenae, Meg-"  
>"No, who's been getting the free drinks?" Joey asked with a roll of his eyes.<p>

"Oh. Hannah, Alexa, and Jenny."

Willow couldn't help but grin slightly. She finally understood why Joey always seemed so rushed with his movements and why he spoke quickly and was always on the verge of yelling when he talked. It was all this stupid drama around his club. Willow rolled her eyes as she finally went to putting the bra on.

"I'll talk to them," Joey said with a sigh. "From now on ladies, I want to know _everything_ that goes on around here the _second_ someone knows about it, ya hear?"

"Yes, Joey," all the girls practically sang in unison, and Willow sighed loudly as she rolled her eyes. The strippers here were so pathetic. With another sigh Joey turned to leave the room, shaking his head as he went.

He saw Joker leaning against the bar, Britney pushed all the way to the corner diagonally from him as she somewhat nervously talked to some guy, trying to stay as from Joker as she could. Joker noticed Joey coming up and he grinned slightly.

"You hear the news?" He asked as he raised his eyebrows, exposing those wrinkles from under his smeared paint.

"Yeah I heard the news," Joey said. "I also hear that _Britney_ has been giving out _free_ drinks."

"_Oooh_," Joker said lowly and quietly as he widened his eyes and looked to Britney, his manner resembling that of a child making fun of someone who had just gotten called to the principals office. Britney's mouth was agape and her eyes wide as she stared at Joey as the random man quickly walked away. Joey rolled his eyes at his friend's childish ways before he sternly looked back to Britney. She nervously looked from Joey to Joker then back to Joey.

"W-what?" She asked in a small voice.

"Yeah, I heard," Joey said as he took a step up to the counter. "Tell me the truth." He crossed his arms as he stared at her.

Joker turned all the way around now and he slid his arms onto the bar, bent at the elbows, as he leaned over the counter, intently studying her face with her squinted eyes. She swallowed as she backed up and she looked up to Joey, trying to ignore the Joker. In a small state of panic that she was trying to keep under control, she nervously shifted her eyes to the left before she forced herself to look into Joey's dark eyes.

"I don't know what you're talking about." She tugged her lips in the corners as she shut her mouth, and she stood up straight.

"She's lying, Joey," Joker declared easily, and he tilted his head up and to the side as he looked to his friend who was looking at him, his face emotionless before he looked back to Britney.

"Britney," he started. "I'm not in the mood to play games. In face, I _hate_ games. Tell me the truth. Are you giving your friends _free drinks_?"

Britney swallowed again, wondering how she was going to get out of this one. She wondered if she could get off by making it seem as though it had been Willow.

"It was Willow!" She quickly said, making it seem as though all the pressure had spilled the truth from her. Joey widened his eyes slightly but Joker looked unfazed as he continued to stare at her. Joey was about to speak but Joker beat him to it.

"_Willow_?" Joker asked as he leaned up some, and he placed his elbow on the table as he pointed at her with his purple gloved hand. "You mean to tell us _Willow_, who doesn't know the difference between _Gin_ and _Vodka_ much less know how to properly _mix_ them in a drink, was giving out free drinks? To girls that she _hates_?"

Joey nodded now, realizing what Joker had said made a lot of sense. Britney's mouth dropped as she looked back to Joey. She wished more than anything she could tell the Joker to butt out of it, but she knew that would be the death of her, quite literally.

"Britney, the _truth. Now." _Joey's eyebrows met in the middle, his eyebrow and lip ring glistening in the light. Britney continued to nervously stare at him, and Joey rolled his eyes. "I don't want to have to _fire_ you girl, but you know the rules..." he started slowly.

"No!" She said.

"Just fire her," Joker said as he turned back around, and he placed his arms on the counter behind him as he went back to leaning on it.

"Man, shut _up_," Joey said as he looked to Joker, who merrily grinned up at him innocently. Joey growled as he looked away from his rather annoying friend. "Last chance, girl," he warned.

"Okay," she said, "I'm sorry. But it was only to three girls, and it was only beer!" She cried. Joey rolled his eyes as he placed his thumb and middle finger on his temple, closing his eyes. Joker looked over to him before he turned to look at Britney over his shoulder, a slight frown on his face. He leaned off the counter and stood at Joey's level now, his back to Britney, but he spoke loud enough purposely for her to hear.

"Want me to take care of her?" He asked as he leaned in towards Joey. "Out back?" He added as he held his hand to the side of his face as if to be quiet, and he raised his eyebrows. Britney's eyes widened and she looked as though she was about to freak out and cry. Joey rolled his eyes as he heavily sighed.

"Man! Why don't you go stare at a painting or something!" Joey yelled to him as Joker laughed out loudly in that traditional, high-pitched cackle.

"Strange, I was _just_ about to do that!"

Joey glared at him heavily, no amusement on his face whatsoever. Joker continued to grin at him before he started away.

"Bye Britney," he said as he girlishly waggled his fingers at her. He laughed eerily before he turned around finally and he made his way towards the private area. Britney's heart raced faster that it ever had as tears formed in her eyes and she looked back to Joey, terror stricken.

"Calm down," Joey told her as he rolled his eyes, about ready to go be considered the hero who killed the Joker. "I won't let him do anything."

Britney seemed skeptical as she sniffled. "I'm sorry about the beer," she said in a small voice. Joker had certainly scared the truth from her. "I won't do it anymore.

"Make sure of it," Joey warned, and he instantly turned his back to her to go find Joker.

He wasn't in the private room, and Joey knew he had seen him go this way. With a slightly growl he looked up the stairs; he must be in his office. He started up the stairs and quickly opened his unlocked door and stepped inside.

"Jack?" He asked as he closed the door behind him. He walked further into his dimly lit office. "Jack?" He called again, but nothing stirred. He walked around the corner and stopped suddenly when he saw the door to Joker's old apartment was opened slightly, the orange light flooding out. He bit the inside of his lip ring as he started towards the door, and he gently pushed it open more. He looked to the right and saw Joker sitting on the bed, his back hunched as he looked down at something. His purple coat was laying on the bed next to him, and Joey noticed the stereo was on again. He slowly stepped inside and couldn't help but shudder slightly. He _hated_ being in here.

Joker either didn't hear him come in or ignored him as Joey made his way over to him. He stopped by the stereo, looking down to the photograph Joker held in his hands, and he noticed a small, plastic contained was opened at Joker's feet, filled with pictures and old newspaper clippings. He looked back up to Joker's face before he cleared his throat.

"Hey, next time I gotta confront someone. Stay out it," Joey said, his tone softening the further he got in his sentence. Joker ignored him and continued to stare at the picture while Joey scowled at the stereo and the song that was playing. "What are you doing in here?" He finally asked.

Joker shrugged as he finally set the picture down beside him. Joey glanced down and saw it was a picture of a little boy and some slender woman with brown hair, her hand placed on the little boy's shoulder as they both stared into the camera. "Just lookin'," he said as he finally stood from the squeaky bed.

Joey nervously shifted his weight to the side after he had stepped back to let Joker through to the rest of the apartment. He looked over to all of Willow's borrowed clothes on the couch before he turned back to Joker, who was now at the random sink in the middle of the room.

"Hey man, if I knew it would bother you so much, I wouldn't have let Willow stay here."

"Hmm?" Joker asked as he turned to Joey. He had barely heard him. He was too busy dealing with all the memories in his head upon being in that very room. Literally everywhere he looked he could remember _something_ significant, especially with that sink.

"I'm sure she's bothered you with a ton of questions," Joey went on.

"No, actually," Joker said. "She hasn't." _Not that I'd answer._ He finally turned all the way to Joey. "You didn't tell her anything, did you?"

"Nah, man," Joey said. "I mean, she knows what you did up here, but nothing else."

Joker nodded as a smile formed on his face. Joey, however, did not smile, and he remembered how confused and frightened he had been. He remembered Joker storming out of the club, and he remembered how he felt upon seeing all that blood on the floor...

"Did you really listen to this shit, man?" Joey asked now as he nodded to the stereo.

"Yeah," Joker said simply. Joey decided not to ask any further questions. Both men were silent, Joey leaning against the wall while Joker studied the knife in the sink. Finally, a good few minutes later, he picked the knife up and placed it back where it had been on the shelf in the medicine cabinet.

"We should probably head back down," Joey said. "Willow's probably done dancing."

Without a word Joker shut the cabinet. He picked up that picture from the bed, folded it, and placed it in his pants pocket before he picked up his coat. He started out of the room, and after Joey turned off the stereo again, he shut off the light and closed the door behind him, feeling as though a shower was needed to wash off the eerie feeling that clung to him.

As compared to the quiet apartment, the club was loud, the music blaring, as they entered the main part of the club. Joey saw Britney was busy making drinks, the bar crowded, and with a satisfied smirk he turned towards the stages. Joker had just turned as well when suddenly Willow came rushing over to them.

"Did you see my dance?" She asked both of the guys, practically out of breath. She had changed into a different outfit, this one completely cherry red now as she stared expectantly at both of the guys, her eyes wide.

"No," Joker answered. "Sorry, lovey, but we were upstairs."

"Doing what?" She asked, a saddened tone to her voice as her face fell.

"Stuff," Joker answered simply. Willow sighed as she slightly hunched her shoulders. She was slightly upset neither of them had watched her, especially after Joey had made it such a big deal and she figured after his lap dance, Joker would have liked to watch her strip. But she tried shrugging it off, knowing there would be many more opportunities. For the time being, she knew her dance had gone perfectly, and she was finally, after months and months, feeling pretty good about herself.

–

Willow had boredly just turned the page of her catalog, and she studied the add of shoes on the page as Joker emerged from his office. Willow paid no attention as she deemed all shoes, save for one pair, ugly on the page, and without a care in the word she tossed the page, studying the blouses now.

"Do you work tonight?" Joker asked as he came out of the kitchen. Willow sat up and turned towards him, and was just about to answer, but she stopped just as her lips parted. Joker stared at her, an eyebrow raised as he stared at Willow, who greatly resembled a prairie dog as she sat straight, listening. She set her catalog down and headed over to the window, listening to what sounded like a car rolling up. She knew that Loc and all the rest of the thugs were here, for she had just been outside by the all the cars smoking a Prime Time. She wondered who was coming. Once she reached the window she let out a sigh of relief when she saw Joey's black Camaro creeping its way up to the building. Her eyebrows met in the middle with confusion, however, and she wondered what he was doing there. The sun was just starting to set, and she wondered why he wasn't at the club.

Joker had come to stand behind her now as he looked out the window just in enough time to see Joey stopping his car behind the Audi, the red brake lights bright.

"Looks like we have a visitor," Joker said calmly. "I better go see what the _occasion_ is." Willow watched him go out the door before she turned back to the window, and a few seconds later Joker appeared from out of the door. She watched as he headed over to Joey who was just starting to step out of his car. She watched them talk for a moment before Joey smiled and reached back into his car. He came out a second later holding a large paper bag that he gave to Joker before he reached for another one himself. She raised an eyebrow again as both men headed back towards the building, and she met them at the door.

"What's going on?" She asked, and she closed the door once Joey had made it inside.

"A celebration, apparently," Joker answered. Willow watched as they set the paper bags on the coffee table in the living room. Joey was quick to sit down and start taking out bottles upon bottles of liquor.

"Why?" Willow asked as she went into the living room now.

"For you," Joey said as he organized the bottles on the table now in some special order to him. "For goin' back to dancing!"

"Okay," Willow said slowly, a small grin appearing on her face. She was still confused and had a few more questions, but she figured it was best to just enjoy herself. Joker had been in a rather good mood lately, so she knew the best thing to do was just let loose and have fun. Still though, as she sat down in Joker's spot on the couch, she couldn't help but wonder how the night would eventually end up. She remembered what had happened the last time she had gotten drunk with both Joey and the Joker...

"You're in my spot, kiddo," Joker said as he came around the couch now. Willow looked up to him and was just about to protest when Joker sighed, irritated "Joey doesn't bite," he said. "Move it."

With a small pout Willow moved to the middle of the couch, Joey immediately looking to Joker.

"Tell me you got shot glasses," Joey asked, desperation in his smooth voice. Joker's eyebrows met in the middle.

"Why can't we drink from the bottle?" He asked. Willow rolled her eyes. _Gross_, she thought.

"Because," Joey said as he rolled his own eyes now. "We're taking a shot to celebrate. You don't just drink from the bottle. That's sloppy and stupid."

Joker rolled his eyes with a slight grin. "Willow, won't you be a _dear_ and go fetch us three shot glasses?"

"Where are they?" She asked. She had never seen any in the kitchen before.

"Cabinet above the stove," he said. Willow stood from the couch and headed into the kitchen, and sure enough there was a shelf full of shot glasses. Only problem, however, was even on her tip-toes she couldn't even touch the tip of a glass. She brought herself back down with a huff. There was nothing else to do but climb for it.

Joey and Joker had been talking about something in the living room when a cabinet clanking caused them to both halt the topic and listen. Joker made a slightly confused face as he leaned his back on the back of the couch and he turned towards the kitchen.

"Willow?" He asked in that clowny voice. "What are you doing?"

Willow was too busy at the moment trying to carefully climb down the counter while holding three shot glasses. Finally she touched a foot to the floor, thus successfully completing her quest.

"Getting the glasses," she said as she emerged from the kitchen.

"What took so long?" Joker asked, though he didn't particularly care.

"I couldn't reach them," Willow said in a small voice as she set them down on the table. Joey laughed.

"Damn girl. Any shorter and you'd be the perfect high for... you know," he said with a wink. Willow thought about that for a moment before she rolled her eyes, noticing Joker's wide smile.

Joey went ahead with picking his favorite rum to drink first. Willow had sat back down in the middle and she watched as Joey poured it.

"Here's the deal," he said as he looked over to Willow and Joker's direction as he screwed the fancy lid back on the bottle. "Let's not be _weird_ about this. Let's just _drink_ and have a good time. I think it's safe to say we're all friends here. So lets just _do it_!"

Willow smiled while Joker grinned behind her, and Joey went about passing out the shot glasses.

"To _doing it_," Joker said stupidly as he held his glass out.

"To Willow' dancing, finally" Joey said with a wide grin.

"To... being out of Arkham," Willow said truthfully. They all clanked their glasses before downing the shot, kick starting the night ahead...

Willow wasn't sure how much Joey and Joker had consumed, but after four shots she was feeling pretty tipsy. She felt that all she could do was sit in her spot on the couch, where she had been the entire time, and just sloppily smile as she listened to Joey and Joker's conversation. She feared if she was to try and stand up, it would all hit her at once. Regardless of how she was feeling, Joey seemed to be in a great mood; he was full of smiles and laughed continuously, it seemed, while Joker seemed a little more calm, but also in a good mood. At some point during the night Joker had opened his office door and put on his stereo on a somewhat low level, but all Willow could hear at the moment was Joey and Joker's voices.

"So you're telling me," Joker said as he sat up a little. He leaned over, placing his elbow on his knee as he pointed a finger, very loosely, towards Joey. "You're not _actually_ bald?"

Willow's smile widened as an odd sounding laugh escaped passed her. Her shoulder's bounced from her slouched position on the couch, her hands folded over her stomach. She closed her eyes, trying to stop laughing. What Joker had said wasn't very funny, she knew, but she had barely any control of her body.

Sitting on the loveseat on the same wall as the front door now, Joey sat up a little as he took another drink of his rum from his glass. "No I'm not really bald!" He said back, loudly, though he laughed.

"How old _are_ you?" Joker asked randomly. Willow finally quieted down as she looked to Joey.

"I'm twenty seven," he answered. "I fuckin' shave my head, dick."

"Why?" Joker pondered on now, truly interested in this.

_He's twenty seven_?" Willow thought to herself.

"Because," Joey slurred. "Why not?"

"I didn't know you had hair." The conversation seemed to finally hit Willow, and she laughed more after realizing what she had just said. Joker looked over to her, a wide toothy grin spread on his lips as he watched her laugh, and he slid his eyeballs up to Joey who was grinning back at him. Joker was enjoying this.

"I'm not fuckin' _sixty_ guys!" He said in his defense. "I _choose_ to look this way, and I _like _it!"

"What color is your hair?" Joker went on to ask as he looked away from Willow and back to Joey fully.

"It's brown," he said. "What's yours?"

"_Obviously_ it's green, _Joseph_," Joker said as he finished off what was left of his rum in his glass.

"No, I mean..." Joey went on to say, but he faded off suddenly in a fit of giggles.

Willow stared to laugh again, and sensing someone was staring at her, she turned towards Joker and found him grinning down at her.

"I think _somebody_ needs another shot_," _he declared.

"I don't," Willow began to protest, but her laughing fit suggested otherwise.

"You do," Joker went on to say as he set his glass down. The room wobbled a bit as he leaned back towards Willow, and he slid an arm behind her back before gripped both of her hips. "And you're going to sit _riiight_ here to do it," he added as he slid her onto his lap with ease. She giggled girlishly, wanting in her head to stop but she couldn't. Joker leaned over, reaching around her as he poured her a shot of clear rum rather than Joey's brand, and he leaned back, focusing hard on keeping a hold on the shot glass, waiting for her to take it. She stared at it, and her hand pivoted in the air slightly before she finally grabbed it. She stared at it further; it seemed like there was _a lot_ in there...

"_Do it_!" Joey called as he leaned over, his glass nearly falling out of his hands as he stared at her, grinning widely. Willow's lips parted as Joker placed his hands on her hips again, as if helping her stay in balance, though he was slightly off himself, even just sitting there. Willow swallowed somewhat nervously before she placed the glass to her lips, and she swiftly brought her head back as she poured the bitter liquid into her mouth. She made a truly disgusted face as she swallowed, and her head shook violently as if to trying to rid the taste. Joey cheered while Joker laughed behind her. Dizziness washed over Willow quickly and she sloppily smiled again as she swayed slightly, feeling weightless.

Joker continued to grin behind her as he tightened his grip on her waist, and without warning he suddenly threw her off of him, tipping her to the side so she went rushing headfirst into her spot on the couch. Willow screamed as her head hit the cushions and she bounced backwards on the floor next to the coffee table. The room spun and she felt as if she was floating as she came to lay on the floor, laughing loudly up to the ceiling. Both Joey and Joker stared down at her, laughing to themselves as well as they watched poor Willow, who was completely unable to control herself at this point.

"What a lightweight," Joey said as he shook his head. Joker stood up now, and he wobbled a bit before he pushed his shirt sleeves up and started around the coffee table towards Willow. Joey continued to stare down at Willow, and once Joker had made it to her he leaned down and placed his hands under her arms and hoisted her up, her body loose. She had completely become a puppet in his hands, and he wondered what he should do with her.

She continued to laugh, her eyes closed her Joker held her up. Her head fell back and she opened her eyes to stare at Joker. He stared down at her upside down face, unable to help but grin. Her face features seemed really prominent from this angle; her could really make out her cheekbones and sharp jawline and chin, and her shaped lips. Her eyes seemed wider, the green in them brighter and he chuckled slightly as her grin grew even wider, baring her white teeth. He pushed her head against his chest to make her head go forward again before he lifted her a little higher so she was fully on her feet now.

"Willow," Joker started, his voice high and clowny. "How are you feeling?"

"Fuckin... _drunk_!" She said loudly before she went into a fit of laughter again. Joker grinned as he looked over to Joey, who was grinning back as he leaned over, his elbows on his legs as his hands loosely hung down in between them, his back hunched.

"Why don't you dance for us, sugar-tits?" Joker asked as he looked back down to her.

"No!" Willow cried. She had understood what he said, and she really didn't want to, she couldn't, but she couldn't help but continue to smile and laugh. Joker giggled as he adjusted his grip on her, his legs nearly threatening to give out as he closed his eyes tightly, laughing so hard now there was suddenly no sound coming out except for little gasps of breath. Joey closed his eyes to laugh as he leaned back now.

"No?" Joker asked now, trying to calm down. "Why not?"

"No!" Willow said again.

"I think you want to," he said. "_I _want you to."

Willow bit her lip as she tried to stop laughing, but it felt as though her jaw was too heavy and her lip slipped out of her teeth's grasp as her jaw hung open. Joker leaned her against himself again, holding her up with his arms as his fingers found the bottom of her small shirt, and he lifted it up, adjusting her body on his again as he somehow managed to lift the whole shirt from her body and throw to the ground in front of them.

"Ugh!" Willow started once she felt the cool air on her torso and she finally opened her eyes. "Dammit," she continued as she glanced down to her white bra, only to laugh again a second later when Joker turned her to face Joey now, the room whooshing by her. Joey looked back up to them from where he leaned back on the couch, laughing as Joker had now gripped her wrists, and he hummed to the song that played as he moved Willow's arms, stepping side to side as he made her 'dance'. His humming to the song was interrupted every now and again by his loud giggles as he went all about the room now, swaying Willow's arms side to side, resembling that of a tipsy hula-dancer. Willow continued to smile and giggle herself, feeling dizzier than ever as she was swung all around the room until finally Joker stopped abruptly, and he let Willow fall to the floor. He was unable to help the sickening feeling from his stomach that was now crawling up his throat, and without a word he quickly started his room, tripping over his feet.

Willow rolled onto her back and sat up, holding her head as she continued to smile, trying to calm down her laughs. Joker was suddenly gone and she grew confused when she glanced over to Joey, who was now draped over the arm of the couch from his sitting position, his eyes closed. Willow frowned slightly, though her lips continued to tug at the corners. Grabbing the messy coffee table for support, she stood up, her legs wobbling. She looked at her bedroom door, and she knew it was her goal to get to her bed. She focused hard on moving passed the living room to get to it, holding onto every large object she could as she made her way towards it.

A good five minutes later she finally reached the wall by her door, and she leaned against it, sliding slowly towards her door, still slightly laughing at how incredibly _hard_ it was for her to do such a simple task. She finally reached the door, and after struggling to turn the handle, she pushed the it open, the knob hitting the wall loudly and she sloppily walked over to her bed. Her legs finally gave out and she landed on her bed with a grunt, bouncing up and down slightly. She continued to laugh as she struggled to roll onto her back and she laid her head on her pillow before she finally turned to her side, and it seemed within seconds all went silent.

AN: sort of a light, happy chapter :) I enjoyed writing it and hopefully you all enjoyed reading it, lemme know with your reviews! Thank you all who enjoy this story, and who added it to their alerts and favorites, and ESPECIALLY to those of you who review! :) My world revolves around them (as does the next chapter ;) )

And by the way, for those of you who asked and who may be wondering, Harley Quinn will NOT be making an appearance in this story. Sorry :)


	7. Change of Pace

With a small groan Willow turned from her back onto her stomach the following morning. Face down, she breathed out into her pillow, and groaned again when she felt a headache coming on. She lifted her head and took a deep breath before she turned onto her side to face her open door. Memories of the night came rushing back, and she wondered if Joey was still on the couch. Glancing over to the clock, she noticed it was just about eleven in the morning. She groaned once more to herself as she forced herself up, wondering if Joker had any aspirin.

After putting a shirt on she stepped into the hall, the living room seeming ridiculously bright, and through squinted eyes she could make out Joey's figure sprawled out onto the couch. She rubbed her eyes and blinked rapidly for a short moment until she finally felt like she could stand being in the light. She smiled slightly as she looked back at Joey, who was on his back, his legs and arms spread open, one hand dangling off the couch while his right foot was rested on the floor. She looked to her left and noticed Joker's door was wide open, and while it was tempting to look inside, she thought better of it and headed towards the kitchen.

With no luck finding an aspirin for her head, she settled on getting a glass of water. As she sipped it she stepped back into the living room, raising an eyebrow at the slight mess. Joey had finally dropped his glass, and she noticed the drink had stained the carpet. She took another sip from her glass; she knew Joker was _not_ going to like that. Among a few other things on the floor, the couch cushions had been pulled away from the back of the couch and the pillows all laid on the floor. She remembered what had happened, she just couldn't remember making that much of a mess.

She finished her water and had just headed back into the kitchen to get more when she heard loud pounding on the front door. She jumped, frozen on the spot, and her heart racing as the pounding continued. She quickly made her way into the living room just as Joey started stirring on the couch at the noise. She sucked in a nervous breath as she looked out the peephole and she grew confused when she saw it was Loc. He looked incredibly rushed and angry, his face was red and he gritted his teeth as he pounded on the door again. Joey had managed to sit up now just as Willow opened the door.

"Wolf's Bulldozing company is here!" He quickly said before Willow could even speak.

"What?" Willow said. She had never felt so confused.

"A fucking bulldozing company is here!" Loc yelled again. "Go tell the Joker! _Now!_"

With wide eyes Willow shut the door on him and instantly heard him running back down the stairs.

"What's going on?" Joey asked, his voice very rough and deep, but Willow ignored him and instead ran up to the window. Her eyes widened more than ever and she felt her heart stop when she saw a truck that read 'Wolf's Bulldozing Co.' on the side traveling up the long dirt path.

"Oh, shit," she heard Joey mumble behind her upon seeing the truck, but she paid no attention to him and instead took off towards Joker's room, having no time to be nervous about waking him up. He couldn't be mad at her since this was incredibly important.

She rushed into his room and went right up to the side of the bed.

"Joker," she said loudly over him. He grunted a little as he he started to turn into his pillow, hiding his ridiculously smeared face. "Joker!" She said again louder as she leaned over him. She heard him growl now, and she jumped back after she had said his name one more time.

"What is it Willow!" He barked at her.

"A bulldozing company is here," she said, deciding not to take his rudeness to heart at a time like this.

"A _what_?" He asked now as he looked up to her. His hair was ruffled in every direction and his chin and lips had been completely exposed, the red and white make up all over his pillow.

"A bulldozing company!" She said louder. She had never seen Joker move to fast. It seemed in the blink of an eye he was out of bed and already rummaging around for something in his closet.

"Go get Joey up," he said.

"He is-"

"_Go!_" He yelled at her. Heart pounding with anxiety, Willow rushed out of his room and back into the living room.

Joey was still sitting on the couch when Willow rushed up to the window just in enough time to see the truck had come to a stop behind all the cars. Willow swallowed and jumped again when she heard Joker behind her. She leaned over and glanced out the window.

"We need to take them out," Joker ordered with finality as he started towards the door. "Willow!" He called, and once she turned around she jumped when Joker tossed her a handgun. She gasped as she caught it and was just about to protest, but Joker was already staring out the door. In a panic she quickly handed it to Joey, who had just stood up and she instantly started towards her room. Without a word Joey started out the door and paused at the top of the stairs when he saw Joker, who was pressed up against Loc's door as he held the gun at his side, cocked and ready to be fired. Joey cocked his own gun and prepared to shoot who ever came through the door.

There seemed to be an unspoken plan that both Joey and Joker seemed to know. Once the door opened and a man stepped inside, Joey took aim at his chest and fired two shots, Joker starting out the door directly afterward to quickly kill the man who had started to run, scared, back to the truck.

Willow had been her room putting all of her clothes back in her bag she had kept under her bed, and she jumped when she heard those two loud gun shots, two more being fired off from outside. She had just tossed her knife into the bag and had just zipped it up when she heard both Joey and Joker come back inside.

"Willow!" Joker shouted, and she appeared at her door, feeling small and useless. "Take everything I give you at the door and put it into the black SUV," he said as he tossed her the keys. Without a word she turned quickly and grabbed her bag before she rushed down the stairs. Her stomach dropped when she saw a man in a pool of blood laying at the door, and she tried hard not to breath as she stepped around him to head outside, only to gasp a second after upon seeing the second dead guy. With shaking hands she quickly unlocked the car and opened the back, tossing her bag in. She put the keys in her small pocket and started back towards the building and rushed up the stairs, only for Joey to instantly hand her another heavy bag.

Her and Joey moved as fast as they could, carrying what ever Joker deemed important to the SUV. Once they both went upstairs for the last time Joker was quickly walking around, his head looking side to side quickly, making sure he had gotten everything important.

"Where are we going?" Willow asked as she headed towards the table by the kitchen, glancing around herself. Joker was just about to speak when Joey beat him to it.

"Just go to my house," he said in a panic. He was _not_ going to stay there any longer, for he knew his career would be in jeopardy if he did.

Without a word Joker started out of the apartment, Joey right behind him.

"Willow let's _go_!" Joker shouted. She felt as though she couldn't breath as she glanced at the table, an idea coming to mind. Despite Joker's command she quickly grabbed a newspaper and opened it up as she stepped into the kitchen. She turned all the gas burners on high, the small flames all coming to life on all four burners, and she placed a corner of the newspaper in the flame. She quickly threw the rest of the paper on top of the stove, the flames instantly igniting some of it and she ran out of the apartment.

She stepped outside, noticing first that the white SUV was gone before she noticed Joker's angered face. He held his hand out and quickly waggled his fingers as Joey started the engine to his own car. Willow quickly threw him the keys to the truck while another set of keys landed at her feet.

"Drive the Audi," he told her. "Stay close," he added before he disappeared around the truck, instantly starting it before he even shut the door. Willow bit her lip and had just unlocked the car when Joey had started off down the dirt path, Joker instantly turning to follow. Her hands were shaking so bad she had an incredibly hard time putting the key in the ignition, and by the time she had finally started the car Joey and Joker were already turning onto the main road. The last thing she needed was to be left behind...

She quickly swung the car around, the engine roaring as she sped down the path, turning in the direction they had. She sped down the road and was just pushing eighty when she finally caught up to them. She breathed in and out slowly, trying to calm herself down as she followed behind Joker's SUV, Joey leading the parade in front.

Willow had a pretty hard time keeping up as they drove through the city. With quick, sharp turns, rapid changing lanes and speeding though yellow lights just turned red as to not get separated, Willow felt completely exhausted. Nothing could explain how relieved she felt, however, once they seemed to turn onto a road that seemed to lead out of the business of the city. They followed the two lane only road, in their line, and Willow wondered where Joey lived. She had no idea how far they were from the club.

A good ten to fifteen minutes later Willow followed the pair as they turned into a neighborhood, and her jaw dropped. She couldn't help but gawk at all the houses; they were huge! She was sure they were one square foot away from being mansions. She was too busy looking up at a giant blue house she failed to notice that Joker had come to a stop. She slammed on her breaks, her eyes wide, until she finally noticed they were stopped in front of a big, light tan house with blue and black trim. She watched as Joey drove up the long driveway, pulling into a three car driveway. She swallowed somewhat nervously as she now followed Joker up the driveway as Joey opened another separate garage detached from the house at the side. Joker pulled inside on the left which left Willow room on the right. Joey was standing behind Willow's car now as she got out, and she handed Joker the keys when he held out his hand for them. It was quiet for a moment before Joey finally spoke up.

"I'll show you the house," he said as he raised his eyebrows, and he turned around instantly to head over to the main garage. Before they went through the door, he hit two buttons on the side, closing all the garage doors before he pushed the thick, wooden door open. Willow's eyes went wide with wonder as they stepped inside the house; it was positively _huge_. She looked all around her, taking in the light wooden floors, the high ceiling and skylights, and the fancy front door. Joker's eyebrows were raised as he looked around. He nodded as he looked to Joey.

"I'm impressed, Joseph," he said with a smirk. Joey ignored him and instead continued through the massive entryway and they followed him to the kitchen. Willow was too busy staring with awe at the light wood cabinets and granite counters and the living room just in front of the kitchen she didn't even hear Joey talking.

"... the original design for the kitchen was shit, man," he said as he looked to Joker, who was nodding, pretending to be interested when in reality he knew there was more important things than kitchen designs. "So I told the builders 'no, I don't _want_ that. I mean it was _all_ out of whack, man. The room didn't _flow_, if you know what I mean, right?"

"So, _then_ what happened?" Joker asked passively a moment later as he stepped further into the kitchen behind Willow. Joey either didn't pick up on his tone or ignored it as he went on.

"I paid them extra to do it _my_ way. I think it came out good." He placed his hands on his hips and nodded.

"Yes, yes it did," Joker went on to say somewhat sarcastically as he now stepped next to Willow. "Willow, don't you agree?"

She jumped when she felt Joker place his bare hand on the small of her back and she looked to him with wide eyes.

"What?" She asked in a small voice.

"Me and _Joseph _were discussing how _lovely_ his kitchen looks. It's all his design you know," Joker went on to add as he slid his arm around her shoulders. He turned Willow and himself to face Joey. "You know what, why don't _you_ tell her. You can tell the story much better than _I _can."

"Man, fuck you," Joey said as he shook his head, Joker laughing now as he closed his eyes, shaking his own head as he took his arm away from Willow. She frowned up at Joker before she turned synthetically to Joey.

"I think it's beautiful," she said honestly.

"Why thank you, _Willow_," Joey said as he now started back to the entryway. "At least _someone_ knows how to pretend to be polite."

"They don't call me the Joker for 'nothin," he said in his defense with a wide grin. Willow rolled her eyes as she followed Joey towards the stairs in front of the front door. He stopped before them and pointed at the staircase that led down to the basement.

"I'm currently finishing the basement," he said. "It's a fuckin' mess down there," he added before he started up the stairs. Once at the top Willow noticed four white doors directly in front of them in the wide hallway.

"That's my room," he said, pointing to the door closest to them. "That's the bathroom, a closet, and the guest bedroom," he added, his voice getting quieter it seemed. They followed him to it and he pushed the door open, revealing a large bedroom with a big, king sized bed with a white comforter and blue pillows "You guys can stay in here," he said. "There's only one guest bed..."

"_Interesting_," Joker said as he peeked his head in through the door. Willow stepped inside the room, looking around as she slowly spun around.

"How long _are_ you planning on staying here?" Joey asked quietly now to Joker. The weight of what he had finally done had hit him once they stepped inside the house, now that the hectic emotions of the morning were starting to leave him. He had invited the most wanted man alive to stay at his house and he felt like he was starting to regret it. Next to him, Joker shrugged.

"How long are we welcome?" He asked back. Joey shrugged now and Joker smirked.

"I guess for as long as you need," Joey said, the nice guy inside him wanting to help his _friend_ out. Joker could tell his statement sounded forced. "Just... don't do anything stupid."

"Oh, believe _me_ Joey," Joker said as he looked to him, grinning slightly. "The last thing I would want to do it make life _hard_ for you."

Joey glared at him a moment before a grin cracked his face and he looked back to Willow. "You like it?"

"Yeah," Willow said. "I've never been in a house this big."

"_Shocking_," Joker said sarcastically before he turned to head back down the stairs. Willow watched him go before she turned back to Joey, a somewhat large frown on her face.

"You sure you wanna share a room with that guy?" He asked as he stepped into the room, pointing a thumb behind him. Willow sighed.

"Do I have a choice?" She asked. "I don't think he's the kind of guy to shun to the couch," she added with a mumble, and Joey laughed.

"Probably not," he said. "Sorry babe."

"It's fine," Willow said with a smile.

–

After a receiving a tour of the rest of the house (which included where the main level bathroom was, his in-home office, the laundry room and a few trivia facts about the massive living room/den) Willow was sitting at the kitchen table, drinking a Pepsi while Joey sat in the living room, eating a bag of chips. Joker had borrowed Joey's office to call Rocco to find out where they had gone. Willow had just finished the rest of the can when Joker came out of the office, walking back out of the hall that was next to the living room.

"Well they're at some friend's of Loc's way the hell downtown," Joker said as he paused in the middle of the living room, and he stared at Willow before he turned to Joey once he started to speaking.

"Did you tell them where you were?" He asked, his eyes wide. Joker grinned, his eyes going wide.

"Yes, Joey, I did," he said. "They're my boys, they gotta know that I'm currently residing at 15585 Fountain Springs _Drive. _Now they're free to invite the rest of their _thug_ buddies to ruin your house and kill you."

Joey was glaring at him.

"I'm not appreciating your sarcasm, ya feel me? My house, my rules."

"Oh yes of _course_ Joseph. _What ever_ you say." Joker smiled widely at him, baring those teeth and dimples, and Willow couldn't help but laugh slightly. Joker looked over to her and started towards the kitchen.

"Willow can appreciate a good joke," Joker said as he continued to look down at her, and like a predator stalking its pray he circled around the table before he leaned on it with his hands, his eyes never breaking contact with hers. Willow's heart pounded, but she tried to keep herself calm and instead just grinned up at him.

"Yeah? She can also appreciate a good kitchen design," Joey said as he popped a chip into his mouth. "It's called being polite, asshole."

"_Really_?" Joker said as that grin came back. "Not in this case, buddy," he said as he finally leaned off the table and turned to go into the living room. Willow watched him for a minute, unable to wipe that grin off her face. She was enjoying the positive, joking energy going on. She was suddenly staying in a _nice_, clean, giant house where there seemed to be no tension. She found it odd: at one point in her life she had gone from miserable to scared, and now suddenly, with living with the Joker and his friend, for the first time she felt happy, and dare she even say _safe_.

"Won't you come join us?" Joker's voice broke her thoughts, and she stood from the table. She threw away the can before she went into the living room and sat down on the couch next to Joker when he nodded to the side. She was still in her clothes from the previous night, they all were, actually, and all she wanted to do was take a shower. But she figured she might as well relax and watch what ever action movie was on the TV.

A short moment later a dog parking in the distance snapped her out of her daze, and she looked to Joey when it kept going on.

"What's that?" She asked as he started off the couch, rolling up the chip bag.

"Arlo," he answered simply. She watched as he started towards the entryway while Joker growled deeply next to her and she turned around to look up to him.

"A _dog_," he said as he rolled his eyes. Willow was just about to ask him what the problem was when suddenly she heard running up the stairs before a big, tan pitbull rounded around the couch and stomped right up to her. Her eyes went wide and Joker couldn't help but grin when he felt her scoot further into the couch and closer to him. The dog growled slightly as it sniffed her feet before he moved up to her ankles. Finally the growling ceased and it started to wag its tail as he now looked up to her before he went on to sniff Joker's leg. He considered kicking it away from himself, but Joey's voice interrupted.

"That's Arlo," he said as he came back into the living room. "He's a pussy, he won't bite you."

Willow looked skeptically over to Joey as Joker glared at the dog. Joey laughed.

"You don't like dogs?" He asked. Joker shook his head as he looked up to glare at Joey as if saying get this dog away from me.

"Arlo! C'mere," Joey said as he pointed to the floor, and the dog instantly scamper over to him before he sat right down, panting as Joey pet him. "Don't tell me you're a cat person."

Joker felt like strangling him for even thinking it. "No," he said as he crossed his ankle on his knee. "I'm more of a... reptile person, if you know what I mean," he said with a grin.

Joey rolled his eyes.

"Why is his name Arlo?" Willow asked, unable to help but smile at how clumsy the dog was.

"Long story short," Joey said. "I didn't know what to name him when I first got him, and when this chick asked what his name was I said 'I don't know' and she thought I said 'Arlo'."

Willow laughed slightly. "Who was the girl?"

Joey shrugged. "I don't know. Don't care."

Willow rolled her eyes as she sat back now, looking back to the TV.

About an hour passed, and around five when the sun started to go down Joker and Joey stood up in unison. Confused, she looked up to both of them.

"Where are you going?" She asked them, but Joey didn't answer and instead started out of the living room, leaving Joker to explain.

"Downstairs," he answered. "Stay here with... _Annie_, or who ever."

"Arlo," Willow said as she glared up at him. Joker growled as he rolled his eyes and he followed Joey downstairs. Willow sighed, wondering why she couldn't go, but she figured it best to obey Joker, especially since she'd be sharing a bed with him every night, which was nerve racking in itself. She motioned for the dog to come over, and once he reached her he sat down before her on the couch, placing his giant paw on the couch once she started to pet his head.

Downstairs, Joker stopped in the middle of the giant, unfinished room while Joey took a few steps in further.

"Yeah man," he was continuing on. "Plan was to have it done by last Summer. But..."

Joker nodded as he looked around, taking in the concrete floors, the sawdust all over, the giant beams of wood and unpainted walls. He looked down to his left and noticed a hallway with three doors.

"What's down there?" He asked, jabbing his thumb in the direction.

"Another bedroom. A bathroom and... closet, thing. I don't know."

Joker nodded again as he pushed his shirt sleeves up. "This is an awful big project to tackle on your own _Joseph_," Joker said.

"Man you are _not_ gonna keep calling me that, ya dig? And I know. I don't know what I was thinking." He waited a short moment before speaking up. "Wanna help me finish it?"

Joker took in a deep breath in from his nose as he puffed out his chest before he quickly slouched back down. "I don't know," he said. "What's in it for me?"

"It'll be your way of paying me back," Joey said with a grin. Joker considered it for a moment, tilting his head to the side in thought. He looked over slightly to his right and noticed an unfinished bar area right next to the sliding glass door. "If I help you, I get this whole basement for as long as we're here."

"Deal," Joey said reaching out his hand with a grin. Joker grinned back and shook it.

"You want a cigar?" Joey asked now. Joker answered him by starting toward the sliding glass door, leaving Joey to grab the cigars.

A few moments later Joey took his first puff from it while Joker looked out into the backyard. They stood on a large concrete patio, complete with patio furniture, right under the large wooden deck.

"So, look Jack, I'm a pretty greedy guy, I'll be the first to admit it, but I don't have a problem with helping out a _friend_."

Joker looked over to him as he blew out a large cloud of smoke into the air, and he raised his eyebrows curiously, waiting for him to go on.

"All I ask is don't... blow your cover, ya feel me? I worked _hard_ to get to where I am, to get out of my fuckin' brother's shadow. And you have the potential to... ruin that, ya dig?"

"I dig," Joker said sarcastically as he took another puff from his cigar.

Upstairs Willow had finally grown frustrated and she stood up from the couch. Arlo watched her go, and once she rounded the corner, he laid down on the floor, letting out a huge sigh.

Willow ventured down the stairs slowly, listening to the voices that seemed far away. She heard the faint voice of Joey and she slowly peered into the basement. The room was cold, the floor dirty and messy, and she debated walking in with bare feet. But the muffled voices had gotten louder, and she was curious. She stepped on the cold, concrete floor and passed a large beam that reached from ceiling to floor, she saw Joey and Joker standing outside, smoking cigars.

"...and try to keep Willow, you know, under control," Joey was going on. Willow scrunched her eyebrows as she continued to listen in. "It seems like she doesn't... think sometimes."

Willow's mouth dropped upon hearing this. What was he talking about? Her heart pounded nervously as she waited, hoping Joker would come to her defense. She watched as he shifted his weight to his right foot, looking down for a moment before he looked back up.

"I know what you mean," he said, his voice low and quiet, almost as if he knew she was listening.

"Yeah, like I can't have the neighbors spotting her. She ran away from Arkham's program you know. Any person could recognize her"

"I know," Joker said with a grin. He couldn't help it. Joey sighed.

"Just, you know. Stay in the house," Joey finished now. "Keep Willow under control. And _stop_ calling me Joseph."

"Yes sir," Joker said sarcastically. With a final huff Willow turned around and quickly started up the stairs, wondering what Joey meant by 'she doesn't think sometimes'. She figured she'd ask Joker later.

Once the sun had gone down, and after Willow had helped Joker and Joey carry all their things inside, Joker was in the guest bedroom, organizing all his various weapons on one side of the sliding door closet while Willow finished up in the shower. She paused next to the door, wrapped in her blue towel as she stared at her reflection in the fogged mirror. She was always free to dress in the comfort of her _own_ room. Now she was sharing a room, a _bed_ with Joker every night. Once upon a time she would have been fine with this, but now, things were a little different.

She sighed, figuring she could quickly grab some clothes and go back to the bathroom. Her hair dripped onto her back as she she opened the door, and she instantly rounded the small area of wall to enter the bedroom door located right next to the bathroom. She glanced over at Joker, who was sitting at the foot of the bed, running a smooth, black cloth over a knife. He glanced up at her with only his eyes as he raised an eyebrow. She expected him to lose interest and go back to polishing the blade but he kept his eyes firmly on her, turning his head when she now stood on what she figured would be her side of the bed.

"Where's my bag?" She asked.

Joker nodded his head towards the closet, and with a sigh she walked passed him and to the closet, sliding it to the left. Her bag sat on the floor, and she bent down, rummaging through it to find clothes to wear, only to end up making piles of what was dirty and what could be considered clean. Joker continued to watch her as she now stood back up, an arm full of clothes, and she started back towards the door.

"Ah, ah," he said, and she slowly turned around. "This is _your_ room as well. Change in here."

Willow swallowed nervously and bit her lip in frustration as her face fell into a frown. Joker smirked at her as she made her way back to her side of the bed, and she stood behind him next to the end table. With a small chuckle Joker sat back further on the bed as he turned his body to face her.

"Nice try," he commented and Willow rolled her eyes; if she could get naked in front of random men, then she could get naked in front of Joker. She let her towel fall to the floor. Joker grinned as he let his eyes exploit her body before he looked back up to her.

"Joey's house is nice, don't you think?" He asked casually as Willow put her tank top on.

"Yeah," she said. She reached to the floor to pick up her underwear. "What were you and Joey talking about downstairs?" She blurted out. Joker's eyebrows raised as his grin fell. She felt her stomach fall as she watched him set the knife and cloth down on the bed before he stood with a growl, and he took a step over to her.

"I had a feeling you were listening," he said as he stood directly in front of her. Willow's eyes were wide, and she couldn't help but the small grin that slid on to her face. Joker didn't seem mad...

"You're not the... _stealthiest_ person around," he went on as he smirked again. He glanced down to her smooth, naked legs before he looked back up to her.

"What did he mean I don't _think_ sometimes?" She asked, her tone slightly angry. Joker laughed, which only seemed to make her even more mad.

"He was laying down the law," he started, his voice a higher tone than normal. "And he's concerned about _you." _This was partly the truth. Willow raised an eyebrow.

"Why _me_?" She asked, and was just about to go on when Joker interrupted her.

"Remember Loc's little _girlfriend_?" He asked. "Hmm?"

Willow instantly though back to her, and her eyebrows furrowed in the middle.

"I killed her because I was trying to keep her from finding out-"

"And while that's _very_ appreciated," he started sarcastically. "You've given yourself quite the reputation of not being able to _control_ yourself." He nodded with finality as Willow reflected back on his words.

"That's not true!" She squealed as she took a step back. "I can control myself!"

"Perfect example," Joker said as he pointed to her. "Any angrier and I'm _almost_ positive you would have thrown something. Look back to Loc," he observed. "You can never keep calm around him."

"Well that's because-"

"You have an excuse for everything," Joker said as he took another step towards her. "Take a deep breath, and _calm down_. I mean it," he warned. Willow glared up at him as she took a deep breath, purposely puffing out her chest and she widened her eyes sarcastically as she blew it out. Joker grinned at this.

"_Think_ before you _act_," he said. Willow continued to glare at him. She _did_, she knew she did. She wasn't about to argue about it any more with him, so she merely nodded, pretending to take his advice. She knew she was stupid, and she always thought before she acted... didn't she?

"Oh and by the way," he started as he tilted his head to the side. "When I tell you to do something, I expect _you _to do it."

Willow's lips parted and Joker could see confusion all over her face.

"The gun?" He asked. "I handed it to you for _you_ to use, not for you to give to Joey. At times like that, and as you know there are _plenty_, the way it works is for you to listen to me. And _not_ run into your room to pack _your_ things. Your clothes are not a priority."

Willow closed her mouth and gritted her teeth, and Joker noticed her jaw clench tight.

"I was trying to be prepared," she started. "I didn't want to be..."

"Be... _what_?" Joker asked after she had paused.

"Left behind again," she said as she looked down, crossing her arms in front of her. Joker frowned as he looked down at her, her body just inches from his. He placed his finger under her chin and tilted her head up.

"We talked about that," he said, his voice low. He wasn't about to repeat the talk they had once had; he knew Willow remembered all of it. "I wasn't going to leave you," he said honestly. Willow bit her tongue as she looked up to him, and a cold shiver ran down her back when she realized that she actually believed him.

"Okay?" He asked as he looked into her eyes. She finally nodded as she uncrossed her arms.

"Go to bed," he said, and before he could give a reason he suddenly turned and left the room, rounding the corner to enter the bathroom. Willow finished putting her shorts on as she heard the shower running. She sighed as she started out of the room, and she ventured downstairs to enter the giant kitchen. Arlo was still laying on the floor, Willow noticed, as she walked up to the fridge. She grabbed herself another Pepsi and opened the can just as Joey appeared in the hallway across from the kitchen. She wanted to call him out on his accusation, but decided it was best not to, and to be honest she was still feeling lightheaded due to her and Joker's conversation.

"Jack in the shower?" He asked as he leaned against the counter before the entrance of the kitchen, and he pulled out a stool to sit down.

"Yeah," Willow said as she walked up to the other end of the counter. Joey rolled his eyes.

"I've never had _roommates,_" he growled and Willow couldn't help but grin. "I mean I lived with my brother, _once_, but I wouldn't consider him a roommate. More like an annoyance," he added lowly.

"You're house is amazing," Willow said. Joey turned back to her with a grin.

"Yeah, I'm one impressive mother fucker, wouldn't you say?"

Willow rolled her eyes. "I guess so," she said with a grin of her own. "Be nice if you had two guest beds though," she joked, and Joey laughed.

"Yeah," he said. "Dude's weird."

"Doesn't it like, scare you?" She asked. "To have The _Joker_ here?"

"Nah," Joey said with a shrug. "He's not _Joker_ to me. He's Jack. I knew him well before he pulled off this shit, and if you ask me it's _stupid_," he went on today. "Dude never liked clowns, ya feel me? And I've only ever played cards with him once."

Willow laughed, nearly chocking on her drink. "Why?"

"'Cause he fuckin' acted like he couldn't play the game, right? And at the last minute, bam! He took me for all I got, you know after I was feeling cocky n' shit. That' was my fuckin' rent _and _grocery money."

Willow continued to laugh, so easily being able to picture that.

"To me he's still my friend, with a killing a problem. As long as he keeps his shit under control around here, we'll all be cool."

Willow's smile faded as she nodded. It was silent for a minute before Joey slapped his hand down onto the counter.

"Well I'm going to bed," he said. "Till then."

"Night," Willow said as she watched him head toward the stairs, but he didn't respond, and quietly climbed them. A second later she heard his door shut, and after she finished her Pepsi she headed back to the guest room as well.

It seemed as though Joker was still in the bathroom, and Willow yawned as she pulled back the white comforter and black sheets on the bed before she turned off the light next to her. She wasn't sure why sleepiness washed over her so quickly, and she yawned again as she laid down. The bed was surprisingly very comfortable, the only problem, however, was the moonlight that shone directly through the big window, bare of any curtains. She frowned as she looked out the window to the rustling, dying tree directly out of it, the leaves and thin branches casting eerie shadows into the room. She had just closed her eyes, trying to ignore the light, when she heard the door open behind her. She felt her body stiffen and she held her breath as she listened to Joker make his way inside. He walked up to the bed and she heard him drop what she assumed was a towel to the ground as he climbed into the bed. He looked over to the window, frowning slightly as he scooted down to put his head on the pillow, and he turned around, his back to Willow.

She swallowed nervously, her body nearly hanging off the edge of the bed, and she wondered vaguely if he had any clothes on. Her mind wandered away from that and she pictured his face without his make-up. She had rarely ever seen his bare features, and she couldn't help but have the biggest urge to turn around and look at him in the moonlight. But she stayed still. She bent her legs at the knees and wasn't surprised that she didn't feel him next to her.

On the other side of the bed, Joker stared at the shadows on the closet. He felt Willow move beside him, and he knew she was as far as she could go on her side of the bed as well. He closed his eyes, trying to ignore the craving he had to feel her smooth, soft skin against his; he felt as though just by thinking about it so intently he couldalready feel it. He growled to himself, not only at the need to satisfy his craving, but at how stupid they were being. _This is ridiculous_, he thought sourly to himself. He instantly turned around to face her while scooting away from the edge at the same time.

Willow froze again when she felt him turn around, and she quickly locked her legs back straight when she felt him hit her feet. She could feel his body heat behind her, and she wondered how much closer to her he had moved. She continued to stare out of the window. She knew if she wanted to see his face, now was her chance.

With every ounce of courage, and energy she had, she forced herself to turn around, Joker's face now just a few inches from hers. His eyes were closed, and he looked so peaceful, so _normal_ as she let her eyes roam over his face. Her eyes lingered on his only exposed scar, the one that perfectly curved upward, before she moved on look at his nose and exposed eyebrow. It was as if Joker could feel her staring at him and he instantly opened his exposed eye and he narrowed it on her.

"_What_?" He growled sleepily at her, sending Willow's heart into a frenzy, but she grinned nonetheless.

"Nothing," she said, and she instantly closed her own eyes as she titled her head downward slightly, bringing her knees up to her chest.

"This uh... _arrangement_ isn't going to be a problem, is it?" Joker asked, and Willow opened her eyes again to look up at him.

"No," she said in a small voice, her heart pounding all the while with no sign of stopping. Joker remained looking at her, he could feel how close she had moved her legs to him, but he continued to hold himself back.

"Good," he finally said. "It's gonna have to be." He turned around again, wondering why he had even bothered in the first place.

Willow rolled her eyes behind him before she finally closed her eyes again, hoping sleep would take over her quickly.

–

The next morning the first thing Willow did was venture into the kitchen. The sun blaring into the window was way to annoying and had kept her awake for over an hour, and after her failed attempt to fall back asleep, she finally exited the room. Joker wasn't in bed and he wasn't in the living room or kitchen, and she wondered where he had gone. She hesitated as she looked into the fridge, unsure if Joey would appreciate her going through his food and using his pots and pans. She sighed; she just couldn't bring herself to use his things without asking. She had just turned around to exit the kitchen when Joey suddenly walked passed, on his way to his office.

"Hey," Willow said. He instantly turned around and he raised his eyebrows. It seemed he was in a bit of a hurry. _Damn_, Willow thought. _Does he ever relax?_

"Can I make something to eat?" She asked as she pointed behind her to the stove.

"Of course," Joey said. "It's easier if you find everything yourself."

"Okay," she said. "Hey where did Joker go?" She quickly asked before he could turn around again.

"Said something about a new truck," he said. "He just got home."

"Oh, okay," Willow said. "Thanks."

Without a word Joey proceeded down the hall and he rounded the corner, a door closing a moment after.

Willow turned around and opened up the fridge again, and she glanced up. She noticed a carton of eggs, a large jug of ice tea, milk, boxes filled with cans of soda and some Tupperware bowls. She sighed as she pulled open the large, flat drawer on the bottom. It was filled with lunch meats and cheeses, and she made a face when her eyes fell on a box of yogurt. She picked it up, two containers left. She didn't recognize the brand name, and she continued to make a sour face, wondering why Joey ate it in the first place. She let out a snort of laughter, however, when she turned the package upside down, and she read the words 'Hungry Girl Approved'. She shook her head and was just about to set the package down when Joker entering the kitchen caused her to quickly turn around.

"What's so funny?" He asked as he made his way over to her. He was wearing his normal purple attire, and Willow couldn't help but to secretly take in the scent of his cologne.

"Joey's yogurt is 'hungry girl approved'," she laughed between her teeth. Joker couldn't help but grin as he rolled his eyes, and he turned to look out the kitchen window, and he growled when he saw Arlo running around the backyard. Willow finished up her laughing fit and she finally put the yogurt away, deciding she'd settle on making some scrambled eggs.

"Do you want anything?" She asked Joker. He turned to her, an eyebrow raised.

"No," he answered simply, going to the fridge himself now for a glass of milk.

"Where'd you go?" Willow asked now just as Joey came back out of his office, holding a phone in his hand.

"Got a new car," Joker said as he poured the glass of milk.

"Why?" Willow asked with a frown, but Joker didn't answer her and instead turned his attention to Joey.

"You gotta do something about that dog, man," he said after he took a sip. Joey grinned at him. "I'm being serious. That _thing_ would not leave me alone this morning. I swear, I'll kill it."

Willow gasped as she turned away from the melting butter on the stove.

"No!" She cried. Both men looked over to her, and Joker rolled his eyes while Joey continued to grin.

"You are not gonna kill my god, bro," he said. "If you do, I'll kill you."

Joker laughed loudly at this. "I'd like to see you try, _Joseph."  
><em>"Man, what did I say abou-" The house phone ringing interrupted Joey, and he sighed as he looked at the caller ID. "You've got to be kidding me..." he mumbled before he pushed the button. "_What_?"

Willow raised an eyebrow, wondering who had just called as she poured the beaten eggs into the pan. Joker leaned on the counter/table as he watched Joey pace back and forth.

"_Here_?" He asked. "When? Y-you can;t. Because Dan I said so! Why? Because it's my fucking house!"

Joey angrily turned off the phone and slammed it down on the counter.

"Who's Dan?" Joker asked casually, not bothering to take a minute to think that maybe Joey didn't want to talk about it.

"My brother," he spat.

"And what did big brother want?" Joker pushed on as he grinned at Joey. Joey glared at him before he turned to the living room. He picked up the remote and put the TV on.

"He's coming to town," he said. "He wants to stop by."

"How _lovely_," Joker growled, and Willow rolled her eyes, the eggs finally finished. She put the pan in the sink as she covered the eggs in ketchup, and she brought her plate over to the counter. She pulled out one of the stools and sat down, Joker scowling down at her plate.

"Does _somebody_ have a _ketchup_ problem?" He asked as he rolled his eyes up to look into hers.

"It's not a problem," she said as she took a bite. "I love ketchup. When I was little I used to eat it by the bowl full..."

Joker was just about to comment on that when Joey speaking up interrupted him.

"Whoa," he said. "Guys check this out."

Both Willow and Joker looked to the TV, and Willow's breath hitched in her throat at the images on the TV. Joker raised an eyebrow, confused. The land that the old apartment once sat on was now completely barren, the building they once lived in now a giant black mound. Willow's mouth was dropped open, and Joker looked over to her before he looked back to the TV.

"Apparently it was a gas related fire," Joey said. "They predict it started from a stove."

"That's odd," Joker said. Willow turned to him, a small frown on her face. "You look incredibly _guilty_," Joker noticed. "_Why_?"

"I, um..." she stuttered over her words. "I started it," she finally said. "Only so no one would know who was staying there though," she quickly added. "I thought-"

"_Shhh_," Joker said as he slowly waved his hand in front of her face. He laughed a moment later. "_You_ did that? Little _stripper_ Willow, who apparently can't _think before she acts_," he glanced up at Joey, "thought to do that?"

She bit her lip as she nodded, unsure if Joker was upset or not. While she had thought to protect their secret, she hadn't thought about the fact that there might have been things there that he still needed...

"We'll, I'm impressed," he said as he nodded. "You're lucky I made sure to leave nothing _important_ there, but I'm impressed," he repeated as he raised his eyebrows again.

To this Willow smiled as she continued to look at him.

"Well good thinkin' girl," Joey said as he stood up from the couch, and he rounded the dark brown furniture to stand in front of the counter again, next to Willow. "No one's gonna think anyone was-"

The phone ringing on the counter in front of him cut him off again, and he growled as he picked it up.

"I'll talk to him," Joker offered happily as Joey started walking away.

"You're _hilarious_," Joey called back.

"Hey, am I working tonight?" Willow asked him.

"Yeah," Joey answered. Willow turned back around and found Joker staring at her, and she paused before she could take a bite. "What?"

"You'll_ love_ me for this, but I'm inviting Loc and the boys to tag along tonight."

"Why?" Willow whined as she dropped her fork onto the plate, it clattering against it loudly and echoing through out the kitchen. Joker grinned.

"I need to go over things with them."

"Why does it have to be there?" She continued, and Joker grinning at her only frustrated her more.

"Because," Joker said. "It's a good meeting place."

Willow rolled her eyes as she now stood from the stool, and she picked up her cold plate.

"And I'll be sure to pick a table _right_ in front," he added with a smirk as he watched her stomp over to the sink.

"I'm sure you will," she said, no humor in her voice at all. She angrily threw the faucet on and rinsed her plate. She could feel Joker staring at her, but she ignored him as best as she could.

"Well when you're done acting like a _brat_ come outside and see my new _ride_," Joker said stupidly. Willow rolled her eyes, and she didn't turn off the water until she heard the front door close.

a/n: hope you enjoyed the 'change of pace' guys :) but for real, we're slackin with the reviews homies. got some puuurty tight and sexy things about to happen... so leave me some good reviews if you want 'em! :) thanks for all the continued support!


	8. A Big Game of Charades

Willow sadly looked out the tinted window of Joker's new, dark green Chevy Tahoe, dreading work as they drove through Gotham behind Joey. The ride was a little longer than when Willow drove herself from the apartments, but as for right now she was thankful for that. It seemed all too soon, however, they had arrived at the club, and she sighed deeply before she opened the door, and without a word she closed it before she entered the club behind Joey.

"What's wrong?" Joey asked, stopping in front of her.

"Joker invited Loc and everyone here," she said as she rolled her eyes.

"So?" Joey asked.

"So?" Willow asked as she snapped her head back to him. "I _hate_ him! Remember what happened last time?"

"You think he'll really pull anything off while Jacks' here?" Joey asked as he raised his eyebrows, leaning in close as if to be quiet. Willow thought about it for a moment.

"I guess not," she said as she looked down.

"Exactly," Joey said. "You'll be fine." He patted her shoulder before he started towards his office. Willow sighed and she went behind the stage just as Joker entered the club. He looked over to Britney, grinning widely as he waved at her, and he laughed to himself when she quickly turned away. He stared down the main aisle, and like he said he'd do, sat down at the large table directly in front of Willow's stage.

Willow took her time getting ready. She didn't straighten her hair, which gave her plenty of time to concentrate on making her make-up extra even and extra dark. She no longer used the make-up artists; she knew she could do it better her way. The more she thought about Loc being in the very same club as her, the more she wanted to taunt him and make him angry. Joey was right, if Joker was there he wouldn't try anything, and Joker most certainly wouldn't allow him to. She grinned slightly to herself as she looked for something to wear.

Joker had only been waiting ten minutes when he recognized Rocco and Henshaw making their way down the aisle.

"Rocco, Henshaw! Sit, please," he beckoned, holding out his hand to the chairs in front of him. He turned his back to the stage as he leaned across the table, folding his gloved hands in front of him. Loc appeared a second later, his hair thrown into his face, and he didn't wait to be invited to take a sit in between Rocco and Joker. Joker looked at him for a moment, Loc never had his hair down, it was always slicked back or hidden in a hat. He looked nervously over to Joker before he cleared his throat.

"W-where'd you end up going boss?" He asked as he shifted his eyes away for a moment.

"The issue here is where did _you_ end up going?" Joker asked back as he continued to stare at him.

"My boy Rodger's house," he said. "Way the hell downtown. Took about half an hour to get here."

"Is that a _problem_, Loc?" Joker asked as he raised his eyebrows. "I most certainly don't wanna have to make you go out of your way for _me_."

Loc continued to stare at his boss. "No," he said.

"You know the apartment was burned down?" Rocco asked, and Joker turned to look at him.

"Yeah," he said. "And you'll never guess who was the _mastermind_ behind _that_ one."

"You didn't do it?" Loc asked, his eyes wide.

"_Nope_," Joker said. "Guess."

"It's wasn't that... _Aspen_ chick, was it?" Henshaw asked as he rolled his eyes. Joker glared at him but couldn't help but grin while Loc lit a cigarette next to him.

"_Willow_," Joker corrected. "And _bingo_."

"Nah," Rocco complained. "How could _she_ think to that?"

"Yeah boss, what's the deal with her anyway? I thought she was supposed to be dead by now."

"If only," Loc mumbled as he took a large drag. Joker looked back over to him, and he narrowed his eyes on his cheek, for his dark hair had moved in such a way he finally noticed what Loc had been trying to hide.

"Loc?" He asked calmly. "What's that on your face?"

Loc nervously looked over to him, his cigarette dangling out of his mouth. "Uh, what?"

Joker growled and quickly threw the cigarette out of his mouth. "_That_." He repeated as he pointed to the burn mark on his cheek. "Looks like a... burn mark?"

"Oh, y-yeah," he said. The room spun and he felt as though he was going to pass out. Like hell he could tell him Willow had done it. "Me n' the boys were just, ya know, messing around."

"Oh, yes," Joker said as he rolled his eyes. "I'm _sure_," he added with a growl as he leaned back. He knew he was lying.

Willow stepped onto the stage just as her heavy bass filled song started. She immediately noticed Joker and his 'crew' sitting at the very front table, and she couldn't help but smirk when she noticed them all stop talking and instantly look over her way, completely ignoring the other chick that had walked out as well. Joker turned in his seat to completely face the stage, grinning up at her, noticing how she didn't seem mad anymore. She noticed Loc's wide eyes as he stared at her, and she winked at him before she took the pole.

All the while she danced she kept an eye on not only Joker's reactions, but Loc's as well. She made sure to make eye contact with him, and move slowly when she stripped down, her silent way of saying to him 'you can't have this'. The thought made her smile. She noticed the two fat men staring as well, but she paid no attention to them. As always the rest of the club cheered and whistled for her, while all the girls, guests and strippers, glared at her and rolled their eyes. But she pushed them all to the back of her mind so she could focus on what she was trying to do.

Loc didn't take his eyes off of her once, and he was thankful that Joker had his back turned to him the entire time. It seemed all too soon her dance had ended, and after she collected her tips, she scurried off the stage with a wide, stupid smile, and all he wanted to do force that smile off of her.

"That answer your question, boys?" Joker asked as he turned back around, grinning widely. Rocco and Henshaw had nothing to say while Loc busied himself with lighting another cigarette. A few moments later Willow stepped down from the steps on the side of the stage, Joker in her line of sights. "Willow," he said once she had approached him. He reached out and grabbed her wrist, gently pulling her close to him. She grinned slightly as she looked at him, and she could feel Loc staring at the back of her head. Joker allowed his eyes to wander down, grinning at her choice of a purple bra and panties with black trim. "Won't you go get us a round of drinks, love? _Bartender's_ choice?"

"Uh, sure," Willow said. Joker let his hand slide of her wrist and she started towards the bar. Britney frowned instantly when she turned and saw Willow.

"I need four drinks," she said. "Your choice."

Britney snorted as she laughed. "_Right_? And how old are you?"

Willow glared at her.

"Twenty, _exactly_," Britney said. "That's not legal, in case you weren't aware, And I-"

"It's not for me," Willow said. "It's for him," she added as she nodded back to Joker's table. She watched as Britney looked up before she nervously looked back down to Willow. "Bartender's choice," Willow said. "Bring it over to the table when it's ready."

She faked a smile, squinting her eyes, before she turned and started back towards Joker's table. They seemed to be in the middle of talking about something she figured was important, so she busied herself with pulling over a chair from another table. She couldn't help but gasp, however, when she felt Joker's arm snake around her hips, and he pulled her onto his lap. She looked over to Loc with her eyes, and she grinned slightly when she saw him glaring at her, that burn mark on his cheek more noticeable than ever, even with his sad attempt to cover it with his hair. Confidence washed over like a wave, and she looked away from him as she situated herself on Joker's lap. She placed an arm behind his neck and linked them at the wrists before she looked back over to Loc. Joker glanced up at her with his eyes as Rocco continued to explain something, and he followed her gaze to Loc. He stared at him for a moment before he finally turned back to Rocco.

"Don't recruit anyone, just yet," Joker said as he looked back to Rocco. He wrapped am arm around Willow's waist and squeezed, causing her to finally look away from Loc. "We'll be taking a little... _vacation_ of sorts. Keep in touch with them though," he went on. "They'll be perfect for... future plans." Willow wondered what he was talking about, but figured it had no importance to her, and she turned just in enough time to see Britney making her way over with a tray, four glasses balanced on top. She stood on the opposite side of the table as she handed them out, straining her back as she struggled to reach across the table to set down Joker's drink. He smirked at her as she leaned back up, flipping her hair behind her shoulder.

"Why thank you, _Britney_," he growled as he looked up to her. "Put it on my _tab_," he added with a grin. Without missing a beat she quickly scurried away, causing Willow to grin as she turned back to the table. "Willow, why don't you go talk to Joey about leaving early tonight."

Willow looked down to him as she raised an eyebrow. She decided against asking any questions, though, and instead got off his lap, instantly heading to the private area to go find Joey.

"So, what are we supposed to do, boss?" Henshaw asked as he took a large chug of his drink, Rocco glaring at him all the while while Loc idly put his half finished cigarette out.

"Hang out," Joker said. "And don't do anything _stupid_," he warned. Loc stood up from his seat and without a word disappeared behind the curtain. Joker watched him go, an eyebrow raised before he turned back to Rocco and Henshaw.

"Since I know you two wouldn't _lie_ to me, what is that burn mark on his face?"

"I dunno boss," Henshaw started.

"He came in one night with it one there. He was actin' pretty mad."

"When was this?" Joker pondered on further.

"Not too long ago. I think the night Willow got back," Rocco answered. Joker leaned back now as he took a sip from his glass. _Interesting_...

Willow had just stepped down from the stairs that led up to Joey's office, and she gasped when she saw Loc. She finally narrowed her eyes at him and started to go around him, but he stepped to the side, blocking her. She sighed as she stepped back.

"_What?" _She finally sighed as she looked back up at him.

"You are fucking ridiculous," Loc said as he took another step closer to her. "I see what you're doing, and it's _pathetic_," he said. He looked around the bare room before he grinned, stepping closer to her. "So what happens to little, weak Willow when no one is around to protect her?"

Willow nervously looked to the side, her heart racing, but she felt it slow down when she saw a shadow on the wall of the stairs. She turned back to Loc and smirked at him. He raised an eyebrow, confused for a second, before he moved closer to her. He had just grabbed her wrist when he heard someone clear their throat. He quickly turned to face the noise and he instantly let go of Willow's wrist. Joey started over towards the pair.

"There a problem?" He asked, instantly recognizing Loc.

"Kind of," Willow said in a girly, innocent voice as she pursed her lips out, taking a step back towards Joey as she looked at Loc. Joey raised his eyebrows at Loc as he placed his hand on Willow's hip.

"You're out of your fucking mind," Loc said as he took a step closer to her again, ignoring Joey. He laughed as he shook his head. "What? You think your so _bad_ because you got these guys on your team? You're a fucking slut."

"Hey!" Joey yelled at him as he pushed Willow to the side. He took a step closer to Loc and glared down at him. "Get out of my fucking club. _Now_."

Loc smirked up at him. "This ain't your business, bud," he said, his voice harsh and scratchy.

"You're right," Joey said, his voice an even tone suddenly as he took a step back again. "This is between you, her, and _him_."

Loc turned when Joey nodded, and his stomach dropped when he saw Joker take a step inside.

"There a problem here?" he asked as he titled his head to the side, narrowing his eyes at Loc.

"N-no," he started. "I was just trying to-"

"Man this dude is always gettin' at Willow," Joey said as he raised his hand towards Loc.

Joker raised his hand to him as he continued to glare at Joey. "And we have ways of dealing with _childish_ issues like this," Joker said. He looked to Willow. "_You_ need to stop putting yourself out there," Joker said as he raised his eyebrows at her. Her mouth dropped in protest but he went on. "Someone's _not_ going to always be around the corner to _save_ you," he added. "And you need to learn when enough is enough." Joker turned back to Loc. "I'm _sure_ you remember the little talk we had about that, yes? Those scars will never heal if you don't stop _picking_."

Loc swallowed as he backed up, and Willow couldn't help but grin. Loc caught this and was just about to say something, but Joker was quick to interrupt.

"Get out of here," he said. "_Go_," he added when Loc hesitated. He quickly turned and disappeared behind the curtain, and beyond it as it swayed he could see him instantly headed towards the door, motioning for Rocco and Henshaw to follow. "Go wait for me at the door, Willow," he sighed as he held his hand to his temple.

"But I need my stuff-"

"Joey will get it. _Go,_" he growled. Willow closed her mouth and looked down as she started towards the curtain. Joey took a step up to Joker once she had disappeared.

"What are you gonna do about him?" He asked quietly. Joker closed his eyes tight as he rubbed his eyes with his hands, not caring how badly he was smearing the paint. He sighed as he dropped his hands down to the sides, the black now smeared out, mixing with the white to make gray on his forehead and cheeks. He didn't answer Joey, however, and instead started towards the doors where Willow was waiting. She glanced up at him as he instantly started out the door, and she quickly followed him, shivering instantly as she headed towards the Tahoe.

Once they arrived back home Joker wasted no time with instantly heading towards the house. Joey had given him a garage door opener which he used to open the main garage, and he disappeared inside the house, leaving Willow to close the garage doors behind them. She sighed as she stepped inside. The house was dark and quiet, and she glanced upstairs, taking notice that their guest bedroom lights were off. She wondered where he went, but the thought didn't entice her to search for him. Instead she started up the stairs to go change.

–

About an hour or so passed with no word from Joker. From in the guest room Willow heard when Joey got home, but she never heard him speak to anyone. She spent the time laying in the bed, just looking up at the ceiling and playing with her knife when there was a knock on the door. She put her knife down before she opened the door.

"Jack wants you," Joey said.

"Where is he?" Willow asked.

"My office," Joey said as he rolled his eyes. He started back downstairs, Willow right behind him. She rounded the corner to the living room and proceeded down the small dark hallway. She didn't waste her time knocking and instead gently opened the office door.

The room was large, and all the way across from her Joker sat at Joey's giant wrap around desk, his office phone clutched in his hand as he held it away from his head. He glanced up when Willow shut the door before he looked back down to the cherry wood desk. As Willow got closer she could hear someone talking on the phone. Joker placed it back to his ear.

"Uh-huh," he said in a dull tone before he held the phone away from himself again. Willow's eyebrows met in the middle as she watched him pretend to be listening to whatever the person on the other end was talking about. A long moment later Joker finally placed the phone at his ear again. His eyes wandered up and to the left, and when he heard Rocco still going on about nothing, he hung the phone up with a sigh.

"What happened tonight?" He asked as he looked up to Willow finally.

"I don't know," she said as she crossed her arms. She was wearing another big black t-shirt and a pair of pajama pants.

"You and I _both _know you _entice_ him, Willow," Joker said as he leaned forward, licking his lips. "_Don't you," _he pushed on when Willow was quiet.

"I guess," she said.

"Which brings me to my next point," Joker said as he stood up from the big, black chair now. "_Stop_. I am not going to be the one to deal with the everlasting_ drama_ between you two. I've talked to him once about it, which obviously wasn't enough."

Willow watched him as he rounded the desk and he came to stand in front of her now. The only thing that could have made this moment perfect was if Joker had taken off a pair of reading glasses as he sighed before going on. The thought made Willow grin.

"It's safe to assume _you_ gave him that burn mark, yes?" Joker asked as he narrowed his eyes on her, wondering why she was grinning.

"Yes," she said in a small voice. "The night I got back. I burnt him with my cigarette."

Joker couldn't help but laugh out his nose. "Of _course_ you did," he said as he rolled his eyes.

"What are you going to do?" Willow finally asked a moment later as she looked up at him. Joker closed his mouth as he looked down at her. What _could_ he do? If he was to go have another 'talk' with Loc, In Willow's eyes it would prove that he 'cared' about her enough to protect her from the likes of him, and he _couldn't_ have that. He could kill him, but that would only make that picture more vibrant in Willow's eyes.

"That's for me to know," he finally said. "_You_ though, my dear, little Willow, need to keep it all to _yourself_," he said. Willow rolled her eyes now only for Joker to quickly grab her jaw. "And _stop_ rolling those pretty little eyes at me." Willow swallowed as she looked at him with wide eyes. "We clear?" he went on as he lowered his head, glaring at her from under the ridge of his eyebrows. Willow nodded her head as best she could before Joker finally let her go, and she could feel where the excess paint from his glove had rubbed off on her jaw. Joker started back around to the desk, instantly picking up the phone again, which left Willow time to leave without another word. She closed the door gently behind her as she walked back out to the kitchen. The time on the clock on the microwave read that it was just about one thirty in the morning, and she wondered how the time could have passed them so quickly. The house was dark, and Willow figured Joey had gone to bed. She figured the best thing to do was for her to do the same.

She frowned once she turned the light off in the room. The moonlight was shining brightly into the room, and she wondered why Joey didn't have curtains. She sighed once she reached her side of the bed, and she bent down as she took her pajama pants off. The tossed them to the side before she pulled back the comforter and sheet, and she sighed in content once she laid her head on the pillow. She closed her eyes as a yawn escaped passed her.

Joker made it to the room a good ten minutes later. After all the bullshit, all Joker wanted to do was sleep. Granted he had plans for him and Willow leaving early, but now any urges he had had completely left him now, and all he wanted to do was sleep off the bad night and quit thinking about what he was going to do about Loc. But once he had stripped down to his boxers, however, and pulled back the covers, it seemed those urges came rushing back to him as he came to stare at Willow's ass beneath her raised shirt. The cold air hitting her caused her to sigh sleepily as she straightened her legs out, and Joker couldn't help but grin as he got into the bed, trying to ignore the bright moonlight.

He turned his body to face her, her back to him, and he continued to stare at the back of her head, listening to her even breathing. The light from the moon illuminated everything in a pale blue color, and suddenly Joker wasn't so tired anymore. He 'hmm-ed' to himself as he snaked a hand under Willow's waist, and as he moved towards the middle of the bed he pulled her towards him until her back hit his chest.

Willow's eyes snapped open once she felt herself forcefully slide back and she felt her skin go cold once she felt her back hit Joker's bare chest. She held perfectly still as Joker bent the arm that was under her at the elbow and he let his hand rest on her shoulder against the bed. Her heart beat started to slow as she finally let herself relax, figuring Joker was just in a weird mood, and she finally allowed herself to close her eyes, wondering if she had even fallen asleep in the first place. A silly smile came to play on her lips when she realized she was actually _spooning_ with the Joker, but she gasped out loud a second later when she felt Joker run a finger down the length of her through her thin, lacy purple underwear. Her eyes snapped opened and widened as he stroked her again, and she closed her eyes, sighing as he put more pressure on his long strokes.

He grinned from behind her, just able to see the side of her exposed face and her parted lips. Using the same hand, he pushed her legs apart, Willow obeying his silent command by bringing her knee up, and she gasped when Joker pushed her underwear to the side before running his middle finger over her already wet clit. She closed her eyes tighter and breathed out, Joker full on smirking now as he moved his head closer to her.

"That feel _good_?" He asked, his voice low and raspy, it sending a shiver up Willow's spine.

"Mmhm," she replied gently. Joker laughed slightly from his nose before he pushed two fingers inside her, and she responded quickly by arching her back against him, her mouth falling open. Joker brought his free hand down from her shoulder and pulled her even closer to him as he gently moved his fingers in and out of her, circling her entrance occasionally before he'd push his fingers in again, his own way of teasing her. Before she could wonder what was going on or why, Joker quickened his pace as he forced his fingers inside her harder and deeper, and she moaned out. She continued to whimper as Joker moved his fingers in and out of her, pausing every now and again to wiggle them from deep inside. Her eyes opened and she rolled them to the ceiling before she turned onto her back. Joker leaned up and pushed the blankets off of them so he could see her legs now, and he pulled his fingers out of her.

"Take them off," he commanded once she opened her eyes to look at him. She did as she was told, raising her hips off the bed to take her underwear off and she tossed them to the ground. She turned back to Joker as she leaned on her elbows, and she felt her heart sink when he grinned at her, placing his two sticky, wet fingers into his mouth. Her eyes widened before he slid them back out of his mouth and he instantly plunged them deep inside of her. She gasped as she fell back to the bed, and she clutched the sheet on either side of her. As Joker continued to finger her he looked back to her face and tugged on her shirt with his free hand. She understood his silent hint and reached for the bottom of her shirt with shaky hands. Joker watched as she slide her shirt off of her, and he grinned down at her bare breasts before he stuck his tongue out, licking her nipple. Willow groaned as she lifted her chin into the air, feeling as though she was going to finish any second. It was as if Joker knew this and he gently slid his fingers out of her as he brought his face up to hers. She opened her eyes and couldn't help but but lean up and catch his lips in a kiss. She moaned into him when she felt him trace her bottom lip with his tongue, and she felt him grab her hips and squeeze before he suddenly lifted her onto him. She grinned down at him as she straddled herself on his lap, and her fingers instantly found the top of his gray and purple boxers.

She wondered how this had come to happen all so quickly as she slid them down, but at the moment it seemed as though nothing mattered. Suddenly all that time in Arkham meant nothing to her; she wanted him, _now_. She leaned down on him for another kiss as Joker gripped her hips again. She had just opened her mouth to deepen the kiss when she suddenly felt Joker plunge deep inside her, and she cried out at the slight pain. She felt frozen on the spot, feeling as if she was to do anything it would only hurt more. She opened her eyes and bit her lip as she continued to stare down at him. Finally it seemed the pain was fading away, and after what seemed like an hour she finally sat up, keeping her balance with her knees.

She looked directly into Joker's eyes as she grinned at him, and she moved her hips in tight circles. Joker growled as he allowed himself to close his eyes and he gently kept his hands on her hips, and he vaguely wondered why they had never tried this position before. He came to open his eyes again once Willow started moving up and down slowly, and he could see the muscles in her thighs as she brought herself up and down on the long length of him. She moaned to herself as she closed her eyes, tilting her head back, and she felt Joker slide his hands up her sides, enjoying the sight of her thin and curvy body. She brought her head back down as she leaned her body forward, and she dipped her back, rubbing her breasts against Joker's face as she moved her hips in slow circles again. Joker's tongue came out to trace the soft skin around her nipples before he brought it into her mouth, his teeth clanking against the jewelery there. Willow closed her eyes and moaned out, only to scream out in pain when Joker bit down on her. Within an instant he had placed his hands back on her hips and he turned them over, and he grinned down at her as he hovered over her.

Just as Willow finally took in a deep breath Joker entered her quickly, going in as far as he could, and he growled when he felt her clench around him tightly. He held himself up with his hands as he continued to thrust in and out of her, hard, watching Willow's boobs as they bounced. He leaned down and bit her neck, keeping his teeth clamped tightly around her skin. She whimpered out at the pain and she ran her fingers through his hair before she tugged on it, making two tight fists as she pulled. Joker growled against her as he moved to bite the front of her neck, and Willow yelled out before she started to pant. Joker laughed against her before he finally let go.

"Scream a little louder," Joker said with a grin as he pulled himself out of her again, Willow's eyes opening the second he did. "I don't think Joey can hear you."

Willow dazedly laughed as Joker pulled her down with him towards the foot of the bed, and he grabbed her wrists before he forced her up.

"Bend over," he said in that rough, low voice, and the room spun faster as Willow quickly turned around. She placed her elbows on the bed as she stuck her ass in the air. She looked behind her and grinned as she swayed her hips side to side. Joker looked from her ass over to her, and he locked his eyes with hers before he grinned evilly. Without warning he suddenly slapped her ass as hard as she could, her pitch one notch off from a full on scream as the slap echoed off the walls. Pain pulsated through her body as he hit her again and again, until finally he placed his hand on her back, forcing her ass back up, and he quickly rammed himself inside her with a grunt. Willow moaned out as she dropped her face down, her legs hitting the bed at each thrust Joker took. She had forgotten how good sex with Joker felt, and she found herself wishing it would never end.

Joker watched his actions as he continued to pound into her, and he reached down, rubbing his finger along her clit again. Willow arched her back and cried out as Joker used two fingers to push on it with a tremendous amount of pressure. Willow could feel sweat forming on the top of her forehead and back of her neck as Joker continued to thrust deeply inside of her and push on her until finally her body released itself. Her orgasm washed over her quickly and she went lightheaded as she came, feeling goosebumps forming all over her skin.

He growled when he felt Willow tighten around him, and he continued move his fingers over her throbbing clit, Willow panting all the while, the intense pleasure turning to pain as she withered around on the bed, her body too sensitive to take any more at this point. Joker grabbed both of her hips as he brought himself into her as far as he could before he rolled his eyes to the back of his head, releasing himself into her as she groaned. He kept himself inside her just a short moment longer before he finally slid himself out of her. Willow continued to pant and she squealed as joker pushed her further onto the bed, her face rubbing against the sheets. She groaned as she brought herself up further before she plopped her head down on the pillow, Joker laying next to her a short second after. Willow grinned at him as she turned around, and without thinking she scooted back towards Joker. He breathed out as he placed his hand on her hip while Willow went back to bringing the comforter over them. She wanted to say something, but she knew there wasn't much to be said, and she didn't want to ruin the moment. Behind her Joker had already closed his eyes as he hummed contently to himself as he moved his hand from her hip to cup her right breast tightly. Willow grinned one final time before she attempted to move her body closer to him, and she finally closed her own eyes.

–

Willow wasn't surprised when she turned around to face an empty bed. She frowned as she stared across the room to the large closet. As she woke up more the longer she laid there, trying to ignore the blaring, morning sun, she realized the shower was running. She smiled as she remembered what had happened last night. She got over how completely random it was, and she knew, as always, it was better to just not ask any questions, especially if she wanted it to happen again.

She finally rose out of bed, and she quickly threw on a pair of black shorts and a gray tank top, not bothering to put on any underwear. The sunlight illuminated the house in a gorgeous, orange-yellow glow that only seemed to make the house look more fabulous. She had an unusual bounce as she went down the stairs, suddenly craving a glass of ice tea she had noticed was in the fridge the previous day. She went about pouring herself a glass, wondering what she could busy herself with doing that day. She turned to face the living room as she took a sip from her glass, the tea cold and sweetened to perfection. She figured she'd start her day off with some TV, as always, and she had just taken a step towards the living room when she froze suddenly.

She listened as the front door opened, this was no surprise but the voice after the action was what surprised her.

"Joey?"

She knew the voice didn't belong to Joker, or Joey, not that he'd be calling his own name. This voice wasn't as deep as Joker or Joey's, and seemed smooth and even, the word 'professional' came to Willow's mind. She remained in the middle of the kitchen, frozen, listening as this person, who clearly knew Joey well enough to just walk into the house, as he closed the door and started down the entryway to the kitchen.

"Joey?' He asked again just as he rounded the corner. He glanced down the hallway before he turned his head towards the kitchen and he jumped slightly. "Oh, hello." He blinked a few times, and Willow caught his gaze flicker downward before he quickly looked back up to her with a wide smile. "I'm Dan Wallace."

Willow stared at him, her eyebrows furrowed in the middle until it suddenly hit her. It was Joey's older brother.

"O-oh," she said, her eyes wide. She looked as if she was a deer caught in the head lights. "Hi."

"What's your name?" He asked, that wide, confused, cheesy smile never leaving his face. Willow made a confused face again. She figured he'd _surely_ recognize her. Her stomach sank as she realized that their gig was up; surely she'd be thrown in Arkham again unless Joker was to kill her first. But Dan continued to smile at her, giving her the impression he literally had no idea who she was.

"Whitney," she said slowly, deciding not to give him her real name. He seemed very business like, though in a very unusual way. He wore a black suit, only his tie was a metallic light blue, and he wore a large, silver chain necklace, his shoes the same shade of blue as well. He carried what seemed to be a snakeskin briefcase, though in his other hand he carried a black bowlers hat. His dark brown, thick hair was slicked backward and proofed at the top, his eyebrows thick and full. He had the same nose as Joey only his lips were a little more flatly shaped.

"Hmm," Dan said as he nodded at her. He finally took a step into the kitchen and held out his hand. "Well Whitney, it's nice to meet you."

"You too..." Willow said slowly. Behind Dan she noticed Joey quickly making his way towards the kitchen.

"_Danny_? What are you _doing_ here?" He asked rather rudely.

"I missed you too, Joey," Dan said, his tone suddenly flat and quiet. "Who is this _striking_ young lady?" He asked as he looked back to Willow before back to Joey. He paused as he stared at Willow, and she widened her eyes as she tilted her head.

"That's my... girlfriend," Joey said as he walked into the kitchen. Willow felt the room spin as she followed Joey's movement into the kitchen.

"No way," Dan said as he set his briefcase and hat on the counter. "Joey's got himself a _steady_ girlfriend?"

"Yeah," Joey said slowly. Willow swallowed as she looked back to Dan, who continued to eye here.

"Must have had a pretty rough night." He observed the bite marks on her neck and she gasped slightly as Joey snapped his head over to his brother.

"Dan!" He practically yelled.

"What?" Dan asked. "Come on Joey, it's _obvious_," he said as he pointed to Willow, still grinning. Joey turned to Willow, his eyes traveling to her neck and he rolled his eyes, remembering finally why he had such a hard time falling asleep.

"Sure," Joey went on to say. A door closing upstairs caused him to quickly glance at the ceiling before he looked back down to Willow, her own face panic-stricken.

"_Joseph_, you've _really_ gotta get some curtains in that room," Joker's voice floated through out the house until he finally appeared at the entrance of the kitchen and living room, Willow and Joey glaring at him. Dan turned his attention to Joker and he gasped slightly upon instantly noticing those scars on Joker's face. Willow couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief, thankful Joker hadn't put his greasepaint on and he was wearing fairly normal clothes, consisting of black dress pants and a gray button down shirt. Joker had been rubbing a towel back and forth on the top of his wet head, and he paused, the towel perfectly hiding his fading green hair. "_Hello_," he said. "You must be _Dan."_

"Y-yes," Dan said as he held out his hand. "Dan Wallace."

"Jack," Joker answered as he faked a smile at Dan and he shook his hand, keeping the towel on top of his head. "It's uh... a _pleasure."_

Dan continued to nervously eye him as he leaned back against the counter, and he turned to Joey.

"Joey I had no idea you had people _living_ here," he said. "That is _so _unlike you."

"Uh, yeah," Joey said. "Jack's a friend of mine," he started. "Some _issues_ came up and I offered to let him stay here. For some reason," he added with a mumble.

"That's _really _unlike you," Dan said as he shifted his weight and he turned back to Joker, who was grinning at him, clearly confused as to why this idiot wasn't putting two and two together. "Joey is the most selfish guy," he started. "When we were kids he'd always-"

"Danny," Joey said with a groan. "Not now, okay?"

Dan straightened up as he glared at Joey. "You know I _hate_ being called that, Joey," he said. "I could call you _Joseph, _just like Mother intended, however I am not going to sink down to your level."

Joey rolled his eyes and shook his head as he leaned against the counter by the sink. Willow continued to awkwardly stand in the middle of the kitchen, waiting for pure chaos to happen at any second. Why wasn't Joker doing anything? And why didn't he recognize them?

"So Whitney, how long have you and Joey been together?"

"_Together_?" Joker repeated as he looked to Willow, and he glanced at Joey before he titled his head, looking back to Willow with a grin as she hesitated. "Yes, W_hitney, _how long has it been, again?"

Willow felt her breath hitch as she wondered what to say. "A few months," she said with a forced smile.

"Wow and she's already _living_ here? A little fast don't you think, Joey?"

Joey sighed as he touched his fingers to his temple. "Whatever you say, Dan."

"The longest relationship I've ever heard of him having lasted for six months. You think you can beat that?"

"Of _course_ they can," Joker said. "They're _perfect_ for each other. _Great_ chemistry between these two. Trust me, I've _witnessed_ it." He winked at Willow and she nervously looked back to Dan, just wanting to die and melt on the spot. Dan looked back to Joker, clearly feeling a little uneasy about him. Joker looked back to him, that grin still on his face. He watched as Dan's eyes fell to his scars before he looked back up to him.

"You look nervous," Joker said as he narrowed his eyes on him. "Is it the scars?"

"Honestly," Dan said. "Yes, it is. What happened?"

Joker remained blankly staring at him as panic arose in the room, not only in Dan but also in Joey and Willow.

"You know," Joker started. "I have a _hard_ time believing that you don't _recognize_ me-"

"He's been in Europe!" Joey quickly spoke up as he leaned off the counter. "He runs a series of underground strip clubs," he said. "He's been there for years now. I thought I told you this, Jack?"

"I don't recall, Joey," Joker said as he turned back to Dan. Willow was nervous, but she had a hard time fighting back the urge to grin at the site of Joker's towel on his head. He looked _ridiculous_. "But that's very interesting. You uh... don't watch TV too often, do ya?"

"Oh, no," Dan said as he waved his hand with a roll of his eyes. "I have better things to do than waste my time with that rubbish."

"_Rubbish_?" Joey repeated. "That some British lingo you picked up there, Danny?"

"_Dan_. And yes it is," he stated proudly. Joker laughed out from his nose and everything fell silent.

"Will- uh, I mean _baby_," Joey started as he placed his hand around her hips. "Can I speak to you upstairs?"

"Yeah," she said, and without missing a beat she started towards the stairs. Joey shot Joker a look that clearly read 'come with us!' as he walked passed him.

"You're gonna have to excuse their _rudeness_," Joker said as he turned back to Dan, grabbing an end of the towel on top of his head as he took a step backwards. "It was a _pleasure_ meeting you," he added darkly before he turned on his heel quickly to head to the stairs. As he started up them he took the towel off his head. He glanced around before he noticed Joey and Willow in Joey's bedroom, and he walked inside, closing the door behind him, instantly turning to grin at him.

"That was fucking _close_!" Joey instantly started, pointing a finger at Joker. "You're lucky my brother is fucking _stupid_!"

"No, _you're_ lucky," Joker pointed back. "I could kill him _and_ clean up the mess all within twenty minutes," he stated as he nodded his head.

"That is out of the question," Joey said as he turned to go over to his large, dark wood bed.

"But you _hate_ him," Joker pointed out. Joey growled as he rolled his eyes.

"Look," he started. "You can't go downstairs while he's here."

Joker's dirty blond eyebrows met in the middle. "Why?" He asked in that clowny voice.

"Because!" Joey said, his eyes wide. _"Look_ at you! Those fucking scars dude, green hair! You're a trip if you think he won't eventually recognize you."

"Obviously he _won't_," Joker said. "You said it yourself, Joseph, he's stupid. He's been out of the states and doesn't watch the news. I can tell- he's _so_ wrapped up in his own little world he'll have no idea. How long is he staying here?"

"I don't know," Joey said.

"It's your house," Willow finally spoke up. "Kick him out."

"It's harder than that," Joey said as he glanced at her.

"_Great_ idea, _Whitney_," Joker growled as he stepped over to her. "By the way, has the wedding date been planned yet?"

"Man shut _up_!" Joey said.

"You two are overreacting," Joker said as he rolled his eyes. "_And_ spoiling my fun."

"_Joey?_ _Joey are you coming down anytime soon_?"

Joey closed his eyes and forced air out of his nose loudly. "Okay, _look_," he started. "He's probably not staying long, and if that's the case, then well continue this little charade."

Joker grinned as he looked to Joey now.

"You are my girlfriend," he said, pointing to Willow. "And _you_ need to keep your hair slicked back," Joey said as he looked to the top of Joker's head. "And wet. I got gel you can you use. You can't tell its green when it looks wet."

"Well Joseph... why do you have _gel_ if you don't have any _hair_?" Joker inquired. Joey glared at him and Willow rolled her eyes.

"Knock it off you guys!" Willow finally spoke up with wide eyes, and she glanced at Joey then to Joker, who raised his eyebrows at her.

"Joseph, control your girlfriend," Joker said as he nodded at Willow, Joey growling at him again. Willow rolled her eyes. "Oh, and by the way," Joker said as he placed his arm around Willow. "I tapped that last night," he said stupidly as he leaned his head towards Willow, his eyebrows raised. Joey glared at him.

"I _heard_," he said in a rough, harsh voice. Joker laughed loudly as his arm slid off of Willow's shoulders. She had never seen him act so happy and obnoxious.

"It doesn't bother you that I _fucked_ your girlfriend?" He asked loudly, purposely.

"_Shh!_" Joey said as he took a step towards Joker. "I swear man, stop it!"

Joker continued to laugh, only to close his eyes and fold his arms around his stomach as he silently continued to laugh. Willow couldn't help but grin as she watched Joker enjoy himself with this whole act. Joey glared at him a moment longer before he started Willow towards the door.

"Go in my bathroom," he said to Joker, his hand on the handle. "And go put that gel in your hair. I _mean_ it man," he warned quickly before he finally opened the door, allowing Willow to step out ahead of him.

"I hope everything's okay," Dan said as he looked up at them from the bottom of the stairs.

"How long you stayin' here man?" Joey asked as he followed Willow down the stairs.

"I was _hoping_ I could stay the weekend," he said. "Surely you have enough room for your own flesh and _blood_, Joey."

Joey rolled his eyes as he continued to follow Willow into the kitchen, where she picked up her glass to take a slow, steady sip from it. A few seconds later they heard Joker start down the stairs again, and they both held their breaths, hoping he had obeyed Joey with his hair. There was every chance in the world that he had not...

But as he appeared, they both sighed in relief at the site of his hair slicked back. Just above his forehead nothing but his natural, dirty blond hair showed while the back got darker, the wetness of the gel hiding the green perfectly. It seemed as though his hair was just wet. His hair couldn't have picked a more perfect time to fade.

"The weekend?" Joey repeated now as he placed his palms on the counter, exposing his muscles.

"Yeah," he said. "Then I've got a high end hotel closer to the coast," he stated. "I just wanted to visit you, little brother," he said. "See how ol' Line of Jewels is going. Has it gone under yet?" He asked with a wink.

"_No_," Joey said. "I am doing just _fine_ with it," he defended.

"Well, good," Dan said somewhat flatly. "Does Whitney know all about the place?"

"I work there," she quickly said, unsure if that was good or not.

"I should have known," Dan said with a smile. "You've definitely got the body, and it's only natural Joey would get with a stripper. But I'm not that kind of guy," he said once he noticed a flash of anger run though Willow's face. "I respect strippers, high end strippers anyway."

"You know Whitney started out pretty _low_," Joker started as he nodded, raising his eyebrows. Willow looked nervously over to him, wishing he'd just shut up and quit hinting at things and being such a smart ass. He was only making matters worse. "She was working at Midnight Misses. Terrible, dirty place," Joker said as he shook his head. "It was a good thing she went to Joey's club, isn't it, _Joseph?_"

Joey was glaring at Joker. He had never hated him more in his life. "A very good thing, _Jack_," answered.

"Well that's great," Dan said, quickly losing interest in the story. "I'm glad you didn't stay there any longer, Whitney. Now Joey, about my room?" He started as he raised his dark eyebrows. "I assume the guest bed is-"

"No," Joey said. "Jack's staying there."

"You haven't finished the basement?" Dan asked dumbfound, and Joey shook his head. "Well then," Dan said. "Jack, I'm sure you wouldn't mind giving up the room for two nights-"

"Actually, Dan, I do," Jack said. "See I have... _important_ things in there, things I don't want anyone going through," he said. Willow instantly thought to his collection of various guns and knives in the closet.

"I wouldn't," Dan started slowly.

"I have an issue with _trust_," Joker said as he forced a smile, exposing those dimples.

"The couch will suit you fine, Danny," Joey said as he rolled his eyes. Dan awkwardly looked from Joker to his brother, unsure of what to say since he had clearly lost the bargain.

"Well Joey, why don't you show me the house?"

"You've seen it before," Joey said flatly. Dan was not going make a fool of himself this time, however, and he straightened his posture.

"I'm sure it's changed since the five years I've been here, Joey." He glared at his brother. Finally Joey rolled his eyes, realizing it was the perfect opportunity to get his brother away from the Joker. "Let me show you my _office_," Joey growled as he started passed him towards the hall. Dan smiled at Willow and Joker before he followed Joey around the corner. Willow looked over to Joker and couldn't help but smirk at him.

"_What_?" He growled at her as he took a step forward, eying those bite marks on her neck.

"Nothing," she said with a grin.

"Don't get used to this look," he said, his voice gruff. "I'm merely doing Joey a_ favor_."

"I know," Willow said as she continued to grin, and she instantly started towards the stairs.

–

About an hour later, after Willow had straightened up the bathroom, making sure any hint of Joker was clear from it and the guest room, she wandered downstairs where she found Joey cooking something in the kitchen.

"Hey," she said as she glanced around. "Where'd Dan go?"

"The store," Joey answered as he rolled his eyes. "To get his _special_, _imported_ beef jerky."

Willow laughed. "How is it possible that he seriously doesn't know who we are?" She asked. Joey looked into her green eyes with a shrug.

"He's stupid, like I said. And like Jack guessed, he really is in his own little word, blinded by his own success," Joey said, seeming as though he had read it straight out of a book of poetry. "I hate it," he finally spat as he went back to stirring something on the stove.

"But the time he's in Gotham," Willow started. "He'll find out eventually. Aren't you worried?"

Joey froze for a moment. "It's stupid but I honestly don't think he will. If he does, we'll worry about it then."

Willow sighed. "I can't go back to Arkham Joey," she said as she bowed her head. "But on the other hand, I don't want to see your brother get killed."

"Really?" Joey asked as he looked over to her. "_I_ do."

Willow grinned slightly.

"It's all good, girl," he said as he turned the burner off. Willow smiled at him.

"Where's Joker?" She asked.

"Office," Joey said as he rolled his eyes. "Hey you gotta make sure he doesn't blow his cover," he said. "Make sure he keeps his hair like that. Even though he looks like a fuckin' stupid ass."

Willow giggled at this, not able to help but agree. Without another word she started towards Joey's office. The door was slightly ajar, so she pushed it open, gently closing it behind her. She glanced around the room, finally noticing the dark red couch, large dark wooden bookcase and matching furniture, the overall appearance of the room very dark, the light dim. She finally came to look at Joker sitting at the desk across from her, and she couldn't help but grin. His body language was all his own, with his back slumped as he leaned on his elbow on the desk, moving his finger back and forth over something on the desk, his shirt sleeves pushed up. His hair and face however made him look almost like a whole different person. The slicked back, gel look just wasn't Joker, at all. She had the undying urge to just run her hand through it and mess it all up. But she refrained from doing so and she placed her hands on the desk, leaning on it as she watched him talk on the phone.

"Mhm," he said in that clowny voice, again his voice _highly_ contrasting with his hair and face. "And is it male or female?"

The voice on the other end spoke quickly, and Willow wondered who he was talking to and about what.

"Hm, perfect. And how long, did you say? Ah yes, two feet. I believe they can reach a maximum of seven, yes? Though unlikely?"

He sat back in the chair now with a sigh, and he raised his eyes to look at Willow from under the ridge of his eyebrows. His eyes wondered down a second later to her shirt, which he could perfectly see down. A small grin came to play on his lips before he rolled his eyes back and he tilted his head up.

"Sounds perfect, Jimbo!" He finally said. "I'll call you so we can arrange the _trade_," he added darkly. "And you have a _super_ day as well." He hung up the phone. He looked up to Willow now as he leaned forward, linking his fingers together on the desk. "_Yes_?"

"What were you talking about?" Willow asked. Joker rolled his eyes.

"Willow, Willow, _Willow_," he started as he stood from the chair. "Always up and in people's business, hmm?"

Willow looked down slightly. "No," she defended.

"Well if you _must_ know," Joker started as he roamed over to Joey's giant bookcase, and he started browsing over book titles. "We're getting a little... _pet_ of sorts."

"A pet?" Willow asked, her tone higher and her eyed widened. Joker looked over to her, an eyebrow arched. "What kind?"

Joker chuckled as he turned back to the bookcase, and took one from the shelf and opened to the first page. "Hope you're not afraid of _snakes_, doll."

"_Snakes_?" Willow asked. "I like snakes," she said somewhat passively with a shrug.

"_Do you_?" Joker asked as he looked back to her. He closed the book and set it on the shelf before he started over to her. "Do you like_ rattlesnakes_?"

"O-oh," Willow started as she looked down once Joker had reached her. He grinned down at her, showing the top of his yellowed teeth. "Those are venomous," she stated.

"And Joey's brother is an idiot," Joker stated the obvious as well, and Willow sighed.

"What do you need a _venomous_ snake for?" She asked somewhat nervously.

"Reasons," Joker said. "Chaotic reasons." Willow grinned.

"But I can't play with a rattlesnake," she said. "It'll bite me..."

"I'm _counting_ on it," Joker joked with a smirk and Willow frowned.

"In high school my friend owned a Red-tailed Boa," she said. "She was a cool snake."

"Do tell more," Joker said sarcastically as he started towards the office door, and Willow rolled her eyes as she followed him. _What an asshole_.

"Where'd ol' brother-boy go?" Joker asked loudly as he stepped into the kitchen, Joey sitting at the counter.

"To get himself some special food," Joey answered with a mouthful.

"Ah," Joker said as he started towards the stairs now. "Willow," he called out a moment later, and she wasted no time with quickly starting over to him.

"Don't tell Joey about our _pet_," he started quietly once she had gotten there. "I want it to be uh... a _surprise_."

Willow nodded and watched as Joker quickly jogged up the stairs. She rolled her eyes, knowing that Joey would freak out once he realized Joker had smuggled a poisonous snake into his house.

Everyone had done their own thing for the rest of the day. Willow spent her time in the guest bedroom after a long shower, just playing with her knife and staring up at the ceiling while she pet Arlo, who she had happily invited into the room and onto the bed. Joey and Joker had been downstairs, discussing plans on how to tackle finishing the basement while Dan hung out in Joey's office, finishing up some business like paperwork. Around seven o' clock, after the sun had done down, Willow Joey and Joker had all gathered into the living room and were watching another action movie. Willow hadn't been paying attention, and her head snapped to the hall when she heard a door open around nine o' clock. Her heart pounding, she quickly stood from the couch and plopped down next to Joey on the shorter couch. Joker glanced at her, confused on why she had gotten out of her spot next to him until he heard walking down the hallway. Joey quickly placed his arm around Willow's shoulders just as Dan appeared.

"What are you guys watching?" he asked as he started to the kitchen. He had taken his black suit coat off as well as his tie, and had unbuttoned his shirt, exposing his muscled chest and some of his abs. He rummaged around a cabinet before he drew out some of his Beef Jerky, and he sat down on the opposite end of Joker, nervously smiling at him as he did so.

"A movie," Joey answered blandly. Dan ignored his tone and instead slouched down a bit on the couch. He glanced over to Joey and Willow, unable to help but notice how far apart they were sitting and how loosely Joey's arm was around her. Willow could see him looking at them from the corner of her eye, and she tried hard not to look over to him. He finally, slowly, turned away and came to face the TV.

"Well your house hasn't changed a bit, Joey," he spoke up.

"I know," Joey said.

"Though the office needs some paint. And the wood floors need to be shined."

"They're fine, Danny," Joey said as he kept his gaze fixed on the TV. Willow nervously looked up to him before she glanced over at Joker, who seemed to be glaring at the TV, a content smirk on his face. Dan turned over to Joker, wanting to completely ignore the move that was on.

"So, _Jack,_ right?"

Joker turned his head to him. "Yes?"

"I never caught your last name," Dan said as he smiled slightly.

"That's because I never _told_ it to you," Joker said as he turned to face the TV. Willow frowned. It was obvious Dan was not welcome here, and he was a little obnoxious, but she couldn't help but to feel slightly bad for him.

"Well, what is it?" He asked.

Joker sighed. "Schroeder," he finally answered.

"Jack Schroeder," Dan repeated as he nodded his approval. "What do you do for work, Jack?"

"A little of this. A little of _that_," he added darkly as he turned to look back at Dan. He nervously smiled. This guy gave off the completely wrong vibe, and he figured it was best to stop talking to him.

"Well, I'm pretty exhausted," Dan spoke up after a few awkward moments of silence. "The flight over here was _exhausting_. The Gotham Airport is near impossible."

Joey sighed as he turned off the TV, sliding his arm off of Willow as he leaned off the couch. "Of course," he mumbled as he raised his eyebrows.

"Don't be like that, Joey," Dan said as he rolled his eyes. "You've got a TV in your room and I'm _sure_ you put one in the guest room by now."

"Oh, I don't watch too much TV, either" Joker said as he got off the couch, grinning at Dan. "I busy myself with other... hobbies."

"Goodnight, Jack," Joey said as he glared at Joker. Joker turned to him and Willow and grinned.

"Goodnight," he said in a deep voice and he turned and started for the stairs.

"I got blankets in the closet by the door," Joey said as he pointed towards the front door. He looked to Willow as he did so, and she quickly started over to the closet. Dan raised an eyebrow as he watched her go before he stood up and took a step over to Joey.

"How long have you been with her?" He asked quietly. Joey turned to him.

"A couple months," he said. "Why?"

"You're acting like your married," Dan said as he rolled his eyes. "Everything okay with you guys?"

"Yeah," Joey said. Finally Willow appeared holding a sheet and a larger blanket. She set them down on the couch as she waited for Joey. Dan raised an eyebrow as he looked at her standing on one side of the living room before he looked to Joey, who was standing on the opposite side.

"Well, night," Joey finally said as he started towards Willow. He hesitated before he placed his hand on her lower back.

"Goodnight," Willow said to Dan. "Nice meeting you."

"And you too, _Whitney_," he said with a grin. "Will you be working tomorrow night?"

Willow looked up to Joey who nodded. "Yes," she answered, and Dan smiled.

"That'll be fun," he said as she started undoing the folded sheet. Without another word Joey started Willow towards the stairs, and she quickly jogged up them, deciding it best to head into Joey's room, for the guestroom door was closed. Joey closed his bedroom door behind him as Willow turned around, unsure of what to say.

"I don't think he's buying it," Willow finally said as she played with her hands nervously in front of her, and she bit her lip as Joey looked to her, his eyebrows furrowed.

"Oh?" He said. "Why not?"

"I don't know," Willow said as she shrugged. "Just, the way he keeps looking at us."

"You saying we need to make it more _convincing_?" Joey asked as he walked passed her. Willow took a moment to glance around his room, taking in the blue walls and dark wood furniture. She finally nodded.

"Yeah," she said. "Joker's gonna have to deal with it."

"Well I don't have a problem with it," Joey said with a grin as he turned back to face her. Willow nervously smiled back as she wondered where, exactly, she was sleeping. Joey pulled back the black comforter on his bed before he took his shirt off, and Willow couldn't help but eye him.

"Better sneak into Jack's room, though," he said as he propped up his pillows.

"Yeah," Willow said as she turned towards the door. She looked back, waiting for Joey to say anything else, but he was already headed towards his bathroom, the flat screen on the wall already turned on to the news. She quietly opened the door and stepped into the hallway. The house was dark and quiet, and at the moment she hated the fact that Dan didn't watch TV. She knew she'd have to be super quiet. She swallowed as she quickly closed the door, thankful his doors didn't squeak, and she tip-toed to the guest bedroom door. As quietly and slowly as she could she pushed the door open and slipped inside, and Joker looked up from sharpening his favorite knife to watch her quietly close the door. She let out a breath finally as she as she turned around, and she glanced at Joker as she started towards her side of the bed.

"Not sleeping with the _boyfriend_ tonight?" Joker asked as he grinned at her. She glanced over at him as she started to undo her jeans.

"I figured it was best not to," she threw back as she bent over, sliding her pants down. Joker watched her, finding himself eager to see what underwear she was wearing. She finally leaned up and he saw it was a red thong.

"Smart," he mumbled as he went back to sharpening his knife. Willow paused before she took her shirt off, and she stared at the back of Joker's head. A confidence boost crept up upon her and before she knew it she was suddenly standing in front of him. Joker stopped sharpening his knife and he glanced up at her, his eyebrows raised. He was about to speak but all to quickly Willow had run her fingers through his hair, and she slid her fingernails back down his scalp, throwing his hair in his face, the strands hard at the tips due to the gel. He brought his own hands up and ruffled his hair; he had forgotten he had left it that way. When he looked back to her she was grinning down at him.

"That was awful _daring_ of you to do," he said, his voice sending a shiver up Willow's spine. She gasped as Joker placed his hands on her hips and he forced her down on to his lap, pulling her closer as he looked up to stare into her eyes as she straddled him. He smirked at her as she eyed his lips before she slowly looked back into his eyes. "Since you think you can just randomly _ruin_ my hair," he started sarcastically. "Them I'm sure you've got the guts to _kiss_ me."

Willow wasted no time with closing the distance between them and she instantly locked her lips with his. She brought her hands up to his face and rested them on it, tracing his bumpy, jagged scars with her thumbs. She traced her tongue over the scar on his bottom lip, and he opened his mouth as he touched his tongue to hers. She hummed against his lips as their tongues danced, her eyes closed gently, Joker leaning back on his hands as Willow held herself up on her knee's, her body slightly higher than his.

"Is Schroeder really your last name?" Willow asked in a quiet voice against his lips, and she opened her eyes to look down at him, her thumbs still over his scars. Joker stared at her for a long moment.

"No," he finally said.

"What is it?" Willow asked as her eyes slid closed, and she kissed him again, his lips warm against hers, and she could feel his scar between her lips. Joker was quiet another moment longer.

"Napier," he finally answered. Willow pulled away and opened her eyes.

"Seriously?" She asked as she looked right into his eyes, just barely able to see the blue peeking through.

"Yes," Joker answered honestly. She grinned as she leaned in to kiss him again. _Jack Napier_, she thought in her head. She loved his name.

Joker kissed her back deeply before he finally pulled away, his hands still on her hips. "Go to bed," he finally spoke up, his voice low and evil. Willow frowned slightly, but giggled a second later when he turned around, throwing her onto the bed, and she bounced up slightly as her back hit it. Joker leaned up, removing his knife from the sharpener holder.

"Where are you going?" Willow asked as she scooted back on the bed, bringing her knees to her chest, exposing her butt behind her legs.

"To kill Danny," Joker answered with a grin, and Willow's eyes widened.

"Are you serious?" She asked, panic stricken. Joker rolled his eyes, still grinning.

"No," he said. He set the sharpener back in the closet, and he ran his fingers over the blade before he closed it, and he tossed the knife on the bed before he reached his arms up, yawning as he stretched. He turned the light off, the moonlight flooding the room, and he opened the door before he closed it behind him. Willow waited and listened, and finally breathed out when she heard the bathroom door close.

She spotted his favorite knife sitting on the bed, and she picked it up, grinning as she turned it over in her hands. _Jack Napier_, she thought to herself again as she reached over, placing the knife on Joker's end table. She centered it perfectly in front of the lamp before she leaned back to her side, sliding under the covers, and she closed her eyes, hoping she'd still be awake when Joker, or Jack Napier, came back into the room.

A/n: I'm loving the reviews guys, thank you! :) Hope you enjoyed the chapter, leave me those reviews if you want the next chapter! :D


	9. Skeptical

It wasn't the bright sunlight that Willow woke up to the next morning, rather it was almost complete darkness. Her eyes opened when she heard the shower door shut, and the absence of light scared her momentarily. As she woke up more, however, she finally looked to the window, and a sleepy smile spread onto her face when she saw saw a large black and dark green blanket had been tacked onto the wall. Thin lines or orange flooded down the sides of the blanket, leaving orange lines of light across the foot of the bed and floor, but the issue was nothing compared to the tremendous amount of light that had previously found it's way inside. Feeling wide awake now she leaned up, stretching her arms before her as she arched her back.

She swung her legs off the bed and put on her pajama pants from the previous night. As she walked towards the door she heard a few items clanking around in the bathroom, and after she had stepped into the hall she noticed the bathroom door was slightly ajar, just enough so she could peek inside. Through the mirror she could see Joker, slightly hunched over as he looked at himself in the mirror with a slight scowl on his face, clad in nothing but a white towel, and she watched as he ran his fingers through his wet hair, slicking it back with Joey's gel. She stifled a laugh as she watched him, trying not breath heavily. She remembered their short lived conversation they had the previous night, and she smiled, wondering how many people in the word actually knew Joker's name.

She quickly proceeded passed the bathroom and started down the stairs. The house seemed empty and quiet, but Willow ignored it and headed straight into the kitchen to make some toast.

After she had found the bread in the freezer, of all places, and managed to break two pieces off from the rest, she had just popped them into the toaster when she heard a large yawn behind her. When she turned she noticed it was Dan, wearing plaid pajama pants and a large white shirt, his hair a mess, his eyes sunken back and slightly bloodshot.

"Good morning, Whitney."

"Morning," Willow answered back with a small smile. She watched as Dan made his way into the kitchen.

"What are you making?" He asked.

"Toast," Willow answered. Dan laughed to himself as he nodded his head forward.

"Figures," he said. "If you ask me, dear, you're a little on the skinny side. You could eat more, if you wanted."

Willow glared at him. "I'm not that hungry," she said in her defense.

"And that's always the excuse, isn't it?"

Her mouth fell open as her eyebrows met in the middle, but luckily Joey rounding the corner saved her and Dan from a terrible argument.

"Good morning, Joey," Dan said as he turned away from the cabinet he was going through.

"Morning. Morning, babe," he said easily as he started passed Willow, only to stop suddenly and quickly kiss her lips. A goofy grin slid onto her lips, and she noticed Dan was watching them. His back turned to his brother, Joey winked at Willow before he went on to the fridge. Dan finally turned away as he went back to searching in the cabinet.

"Joey where are your coffee filters?"

Joey sighed as he closed the fridge, and Willow noticed he was holding an orange.

"Second shelf," he said. "Right in front of your fucking face," he mumbled as he started out of the kitchen. Dan seemed to be in his own world and stepped backwards, blocking Joey's exit, and he turned to go further into the kitchen. Joey held in a sigh as he tried to side step Dan, only for him to take a step in the same direction. Finally Joey held still, waiting for Dan go around him before he proceeded to the dark wooden kitchen table. Willow had just turned her back to the house to butter her toast when Joker's voice suddenly filled the room.

"_Good_ morning," he said, his voice clowny.

"Good morning," Dan said back, though Willow and Joey remained silent. Joker walked passed Dan and headed over to the fridge.

"What's for breakfast, _dear_," he asked as he looked over to what Willow was doing. She looked over to him and grinned slightly before she placed the buttered knife in the sink, and she moved passed him to the fridge to put the spreadable butter away.

"Toast," she answered with a small smile.

"Ah, toast," Joker said with a nod. He looked down to the plate Willow had just picked up and he snatched a piece while Willow whined in protest. He laughed at her before he took a large bite and he headed over to the counter to pull out a stool. With a huff Willow sat down next to Joey, and after grinning at Jack he picked up her second piece of toast and took a large bite.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Willow complained once he looked over to her with a sly grin. He took another bite, half the piece gone now, and he placed it back on the plate. Willow frowned down at it while Joey and Joker laughed at her slightly, and she finally picked it up, taking a small bite.

"Joey, where _is_ your coffee?"

"The fridge," Joey said with a sigh as he finished chewing, Joker just finishing his piece of toast. With a small grunt Dan opened the fridge, and he fished out the coffee. He put it in the filter and turned the machine on and he made his way around the counter and sat across from Willow at the table just as she finished her toast. She stood up from the table and with a roll her eyes when she noticed Joker grinning at her she rinsed her plate off in the sink.

"Well my back is messed up from that couch, Joey," Dan started as he sat up straight.

"Really," Joey said flatly as he watched Arlo run around outside, just below the deck.

"Really," he said.

"Mines not," Joker said with a wide grin. "I slept like a _baby_."

Dan glared at him for a moment before he finally looked away. Willow sighed from in the kitchen. Why did Joker have to be such an instigator?

"Well that's good for you," Dan said as he stood from the table, and he walked back over to the coffee maker.

"Joey where are your mugs?"

Joey sighed as he turned in his seat and threw an annoyed look at Joker.

"The cabinet above the toaster," he groaned.

"Whitney won't you please get me one?" Dan asked as he looked over to Willow. She bit her tongue as she fetched him a mug, and he smiled at her once she handed it to him. She stepped behind him to put the coffee he had left out away, and she couldn't help but notice how he had only made enough coffee for himself.

"Joey where is-"

"Sugars in the same cabinet as the filters, and I'm _sure_ you know where the creamer is."

Joker grinned widely as he stared at Joey, Joey staring back with his hands on his face. A second later he pulled them down, pulling the skin down from his eyes as he rolled them up and he let his hands drop to the table.

"So Joey I'd like to see the city today," Dan said as he took his spot at the table. Joey looked over to him.

"You've seen the city, Danny," he said. "You've lived here before, remember?"

"That was long ago, Joey," he said, his tone sour. "It's been a while. Is it really so much to ask for my little brother to give me a tour?"

"I guess not, Danny," Joey said as he stood up. Joker smirked at Joey as he followed his movements into the kitchen, and he came to face Joey.

"Whitney, won't you accompany us?" Dan asked after he had taken a sip of his coffee.

"Oh, I-"

"We have plans today," Joker suddenly spoke up, and Willow suddenly looked over to him, unsure if he meant that or it he was just being nice and saving her a trip around town. Dan raised an eyebrow as he looked from Joker to Willow, clearly thrown off.

"Oh?" He said. "And what might those be?"

Joker smiled at him slightly, noticing how Dan's eyes fell to his scars as he did so. "Well I promised _Whitney_ here that we'd go to the _pet store_."

"Pet store?" Joey repeated between clenched teeth from behind Joker. He turned around to grin at him.

"Just to _browse_," he said. "_Whitney _wouldn't shut up about going."

"Well that's awful nice of you," Dan said, an eyebrow still raised. He looked to Willow before he looked back to Joker. "And, how did you two know each other again?"

"I've been a friend of Joey's for _years_," Joker said. "I knew him before Whitney did."

"Ah," Dan said as he slowly nodded. Joey nervously looked back at Dan before he started out of the kitchen.

"Well be ready soon, Danny," Joey said as he started towards his office.

"Will do, little brother," Dan said. Joey growled under his breath, a moment later everyone heard the door close behind him.

"Well, Dan, enjoy your trip around Gotham. It's a _beautiful_ place," he said with a grin. He stood abruptly and started towards the stairs, and without another word Willow quickly followed him up the stairs, and she could feel Dan watching her the entire time.

About an hour later, just after Willow had gotten out of the shower, she heard Joey yelling something up to Joker, who sat in his room loading a gun, unknown to both Joey and Dan.

"_Jack, we're leaving," _Joey called as he stood at the foot of the stairs, Dan already heading out the door. "_Don't... don't do anything stupid_."

"Oh trust _me,_ _Joseph_," Joker called back through his open door. "I won't!"

Joey nervously continued to glance up the stairs before he sighed and finally closed the front door behind him. Willow took the moment to step out of the bathroom and she entered the guest bedroom.

She looked over to Joker, jumping slightly when she noticed he had put his face-paint on and rinsed the gel from his hair, which now hung in stringy strands.

"Miss me?" Joker asked as he stood up. She noticed he was wearing his normal purple pants and green vest, only his shirt of choice behind it was black, his tie purple, and his gloves black.

"I think I was starting to like _Jack_ better," Willow said with a grin. Joker watched as she turned her back to him to head over to the closet and she rummaged around in her clean pile of clothes for something to wear.

"You know... you're awfully smart mouthy to me lately," Joker said as he took a step over to her. She leaned up, holding items of clothing in her hands as she nervously looked up to him. "I just want to know, when did you get so, uh... _confident_?"

Willow swallowed as she continued to look at him. She had nearly forgotten how truly menacing he could be when he wanted. "I don't know," she said in a small voice. He grinned before he laughed, and he placed his hands on the top of her towel.

"That's better," he said in a low voice, and he gently slid the towel down, letting it fall to the floor. Her heart raced as she watched him look down before his eyes slowly slid back up. He smirked at her one last time before he turned and abruptly left the room, leaving her to nervously get dressed.

A few moments later, after she had thrown on a pair of tight jeans, and a black halter-top, she jogged down the stairs, finding Joker standing at the counter.

"Where are we going?" She asked once she approached him.

"Go get our _pet_," he answered with a sly grin.

"The snake?" She asked, and Joker nodded. He looked down the counter where he noticed Dan's brief case and bowlers hat, and he 'hmm-ed' to himself as he reached over, grabbing the hat. Willow watched him as he put it on, and she grinned stupidly. The hat actually didn't look half bad on him.

"They'll be gone for a while," he explained as he started towards the door, taking his keys out of his purple trench coat pocket. Willow followed quickly behind him, and she closed the wooden door behind her as they ventured out towards the detached garage to get into the Tahoe. A song immediately blared through the speakers, the bass vibrating the truck. Joker didn't turn it down, however, as he backed out down the driveway. He closed the garage door and turned to exit the neighborhood.

They drove through the back streets of Gotham, the scenery consisting of nothing but trees and barren fields, the grass frozen over due to the cold weather. Willow remained silent, just listening to the music as she stared out the window, occasionally sneaking glances at the Joker as he drove. He still had Dan's hat on his head, the tips of his hair poking through the bottom. His make-up was freshly done, and he held the steering wheel with one hand, loosely bent at the elbow and she noticed he was idly tapping his fingers to the beat of the song on his lap with his free hand. He stared dead ahead at the road, somewhat of a frown on his face. Willow couldn't help but stare at him; he looked good. And there was just something about those human qualities that always seemed to show through, like tapping his fingers to the beat and actually enjoying music. He didn't seem like the type to like rap, but as Willow thought about it, she figured he had grown up listening to it. It only made her more curious to find out who Jack Napier was before the Joker...

About forty-five minutes later they pulled up in front a small, abandoned shack in the middle of the woods. Joker took the keys out of the ignition, the song instantly stopping. Willow was busy looking out the window and at the random blue car that was parked just a few feet diagonally from them. Once the music stopped she instantly looked over to Joker.

"Stay quiet and do everything I tell you," he said simply as he glanced over at her. "Think you can handle that, sweets?"

Willow nodded, her heart pounding nervously. She followed Joker's actions by getting out of the car and she instantly got behind him to follow. She watched as Joker glanced inside the blue car, though she had no idea what for, and she took a deep breath as Joker knocked on the large door of the shack. A few short seconds later the door inched open. Willow didn't see who was behind it until it finally swung open all the way, and she stepped inside behind Joker.

"You must be Clint," Joker greeted with a grin as he stepped inside. The short man, who had light blond hair, thin lips and a big nose, nervously nodded at him as he instantly stepped back further into the room.

"Nice to meet you," he said as he held out his hand. Joker grabbed it firmly and shook it up and down quickly before he dropped his hand to the side. As Willow stepped into the dimly lit room she could hear what sounded like a baby's rattle, and her heart sank when she saw a gray rattlesnake in a tank on a table behind Clint.

"Ah, Mister Joker!" A louder, more booming voice filled the hair, and when Willow looked over to the left slightly she saw a tall, very skinny man making his way over. He looked sickly, with incredibly pale skin, short jet black hair and black, beady eyes. The word 'demon' came to Willow's mind, and she shuddered.

"Jimmy!" Joker greeted as 'Jimmy' made his way over. They shook hands, leaving Clint to nervously step back. His back hit the table that contained the snake, and as it shook its rattle more he quickly moved over, rubbing his arm. "I understand you've got something for me?"

"Of course," Jimmy said as he stepped back. Joker followed him, his hands locked behind his back. Willow, however, held her ground. "What we've got here is a Western Diamondback Rattlesnake. He's already almost two feet."

Willow watched, her eyes growing wide, as he reached into the tank. Willow sucked in a nervous breath as she took a step back towards the door.

Jimmy handed Joker the snake, who instantly unhinged his hands and took it from Jimmy. The snake has seized rattling, and Willow watched with wonder as Joker handled the snake, placing his hand around the snakes throat, forcing it's mouth open. He glanced inside before he nodded his approval.

"Willow," he said, and Willow jumped upon hearing her name. She slowly made her way over. "Start bringing that pile to the truck," Joker said as he nodded to the table. Upon looking over Willow noticed the large, empty tank the snake had been in along with a few other items on the table. "Think you got the muscles to do so?" Joker asked as Willow went to grab the tank. She turned and glared at him, noticing in the corner of her eye Jimmy was watching her.

"Yes," she said as she picked up the tank. She didn't think it would be so heavy and her arms instantly dropped, but she forced herself through the pain and continued over to the door.

"Willow," Jimmy said her name slowly. "Is that the same girl that's been 'missing'?"

"Can you keep a secret?" Joker asked as he looked over at him with a grin. Jimmy nodded with a grin of his own.

"Of course," he said. Joker ignored him, not going on any further.

"W-Willow, Jim?" Clint asked in a small voice behind him. "Whose that?"

Jimmy rolled his eyes and sighed as he slumped over slightly, causing his black shirt to look even bigger on him as it hung down. "No one, Clint." Clint instantly quieted down.

Willow came back inside after she managed to open the trunk of the Tahoe and get the tank inside, and she instantly started for the tank necessities, fitting as much as she could into the smaller tank that was on the table. Joker, Jimmy and Clint silently watched, and she tried her best to ignore them as she picked up the heavy tank and she headed over to the truck.

"So the trade we've arranged is still in play here, yes?" Jimmy asked as he turned back to Joker, who went back to studying the snake, a small grin on his face.

"Of course, Jimbo," Joker said, not bothering to look over to him.

"One thousand and participation in your plans with the venom?" Jimmy confirmed.

"One thousand and participation," Joker repeated as he glanced over to him. "That is if you have my _other_ snake." Willow had just come back inside, and she slowly stepped over to stand behind Joker.

Jimmy turned to Clint and nodded over to the table. Joker watched as Clint ducked behind it, and once he leaned back up Joker saw he had another, much smaller snake that was trying desperately to leave his grasp. Willow watched the snake with squinted eyes. Clint nervously handed the snake to Joker, who grabbed it with his free hand, and Willow jumped when he turned to her, the rattlesnake's throat still in his hand's clutch, the rest of its body tangled around his arm.

"Here," he said as he held out the smaller snake to Willow. She made a confused face and nervously took it from Joker. The snake instantly wrapped itself safely around her hand, her fingers spread, and upon studying it further she realized it was a Red-tailed Boa. A wide, goofy smile came to play on her lips as she looked up to Joker but he was already turning around. _He had been listening_, Willow thought as she recalled their conversation about snakes the previous day.

"Willow, go wait outside with your little _friend_," Joker commanded, and she instantly headed towards the door, never taking her eyes off of _her_ snake.

"So," Jimmy started. "I trust everything is to your liking?"

"Of course, Jimbo," Joker said. "But you know," he paused as he took a step towards Jimmy. Clint nervously backed up, but Jimmy stayed his ground, grinning at Joker. "I've never actually _seen_ what happens when a _venomous_ snakes bites someone," he lied.

"It's interesting," Jimmy said as she shifted his weight, honestly feeling a bit nervous suddenly. But regardless he held his ground. "Rattlesnakes have _hemotoxic_ venom, which means that the venom is—"

He was unable to finish, and a small yell erupted from him a short second later. The snake that Joker had thrown at him hit the floor and started over slowly towards Clint's direction. Joker quickly took his gun out from his coat pocket and pulled the trigger, Clint falling to the ground.

He turned to Jimmy, who was holding his neck as he stared at Joker, at a loss of words. Joker shrugged as he pointed the gun at Jimmy, Jimmy breathing deeply all the while. "I _told_ you I've never seen what happens," Joker started, the wide grin on his face proving to Jimmy that he had been lying. "But, I really don't have time to watch and _observe_." He cocked the gun as he lowered his gaze. "And, to finish your thought... hemotoxic venom is toxic to the _blood_. But, I'm sure you know that." Without another word he pulled the trigger, laying a bullet right through his chest, and Jimmy fell to the ground like a ton of bricks. Joker sighed, shaking his head as we went to retrieve the snake. _Too easy, _he thought to himself. The rattlesnake paused, rattling its tail as it sensed Joker behind it. Joker quickly reached down, pinning the snakes head to the ground, and he squeezed its throat as he picked it up.

"I didn't think you'd actually _bite_ him," Joker started as he turned the snake to face him, honestly impressed and satisfied his sudden urge had worked. He looked into the snakes beady, black eyes embedded in its thick, bulbous head. He grinned with a laugh, loving how _mean_ the snake looked. "We'll call you... _Rampage_," he said, his grin widening. A final thought occurred to Joker as he started towards the door, and he turned around. With his foot he flipped over Jimmy's body, his neck already swelled, and patted around his body with his shoe, feeling for any weapons. He laughed to himself a second later, finding no weapons, and he finally turned to the door to leave the shack. Had Jimmy really thought everything would work out?

Willow's heart was racing and her eyes were wide as she watched Joker finally come out of the shack. "What happened?" She breathed. Joker merely shrugged as he started to the truck, and Willow quickly backed away from him, watching as he put the snake in the large tank.

"Oh, you know," Joker said as he went about putting the black, metal lid on the tank, Rampage rattling his tail all the while. As Willow watched him, waiting for him to go on, her snake had managed to wrap itself around her wrist, and she couldn't help but grin slightly, thinking how the snake was like her bracelet.

"Well?" Willow asked as Joker reached up and closed the back of the trunk. He turned to her with a shrug. "Did you really think we'd leave with two snakes that I'd actually _pay_ for?" Willow was silent as she looked down slightly. "Exactly. Money's tight," Joker said with a wide grin, and Willow grinned back a second later, secretly rolling her eyes.

She climbed into the passenger seat and closed the door before she quickly turned back to her snake, which had comfortably rested it's head in the area between her thumb and index finger.

"Like it?" Joker asked as he put the keys in the ignition. Willow smiled widely and nodded at him as Joker grinned, shaking his head. He turned down the radio once the song came blaring on, and he reached up, taking Dan's hat off and he placed it on Willow's head, finally putting the truck in gear. She laughed as she adjusted the hat on her head.

"Why did you get him?" Willow asked as she looked back to her bracelet of a snake.

"_Her_," Joker corrected. "And don't ask stupid questions, Willow," he said with a sigh. Willow made a face, unsure what he meant by that. Joker, however, was in no mood to explain, or admit, now that he thought about it, that he had actually just done something_ nice_ for Willow. He growled to himself as he started back down the road, away from the shack.

"Well thank you," she said as she smiled over at him, but Joker kept his gaze on the road. "I'm gonna name her... Crystal."

Joker raised his eyebrows and nodded slowly, Rampage rattling his tail all the while.

–

Joey and Dan didn't get home until the evening. This gave Joker and Willow plenty of time to smuggle their snakes in, and get their tanks set up in the guest room.

"Isn't Joey going to be mad?" Willow asked as she watched Joker lower Rampage into the tank while she held Crystal, who was tightly wound up around her fingers.

"I'm positive," Joker said with a grin as he went about locking the tank, Rampage's rattle going at full speed now, the sound like an old sprinkler. Willow watched the snake nervously.

"H-he can't get out, right?" She asked as she looked up at him. He grinned as he turned around, and he lowered his head as he looked at her.

"I thought you _liked_ snakes," Joker said as he crossed his arms.

"Not poisonous ones that could kill me," she stated back. Joker raised his eyebrows and nodded, and he looked away slightly as if in thought. Willow felt the room spin. "So he _can't_ get out, right?"

"I'm counting on it," Joker growled, and he patted her head a second later as he started out of the room to remove his face-paint. Willow sighed as she threw Dan's hat onto the floor, telling herself that he had only been joking, and she lowered Crystal into her own small tank on a the long table next to the door before she locked the tank's lid and headed downstairs.

Once arriving home, Dan had instantly excused himself to take a shower while Joey was left to plop down on the couch with a loud, audible sigh. He rested his arms along the back of the couch, his legs stretched in front of him and separated, and he sighed again as he let his head fall back, his eyes closed. Willow smiled from behind him and she stood from the table, taking a sip from her can of Creme Soda as she stepped into the living room.

Joker was sitting on the smaller of the couches, staring idly at the TV. Willow sat down on the side opposite of him and she looked to Joey when he started talking.

"I _love_ my job. I look _forward_ to going to the club every night, I do okay? But I _cannot_ stand to be in the same room, let alone same _building_ as that fucking guy anymore." He was talking about his brother, and he closed his eyes tightly as he lifted his head up, shortly afterward leaning forward to place his head in his hands, his elbows on his knees. Willow frowned.

"That bad, huh?" Joker asked, not even bothering to look over at his friend.

"You have no idea," Joey grumbled as he leaned up now. "_'Joey! Remember growing up in this house? Joey! Remember the time I beat you at that race going uphill, AND downhill? Joey! Remember the time you backed the car into the garage and __**I **__had to fix it because dad was too busy being furious at you? Joey! Remember how much trouble you got in when you snuck out that one night, and how mad you were when you realized I was the one that told on you?' _FUCK!"

Willow jumped when he yelled, his voice echoing throughout the house, and she watched as he took another large breath, his chest rising then falling, trying to calm himself down. Joker finally looked over to him with a large grin.

"It sounds like your childhood was _terrible_, Joseph." He nodded as he crossed his legs, his ankle on his knee. "_Mine_ certainly just can't compare!"

Joey looked over to his friend, his eyes narrowed on him. "Jack?"

"Yes?"

"Shut up!"

Joker laughed as he shook his head, looking away. Willow was left staring at Joker, wondering to herself what his childhood _was_ like. Obviously Joker thought of his as being a lot harder than Joey's had been.

"Is your brother really that bad?" She asked as she looked to Joey, taking an other sip of her drink. Joey nodded.

"He is," he said. "All my life he's always had to prove himself better than me. Always. And all he's going to do is complain about how I run the club tonight," he sighed. Willow frowned.

"Why?" She asked. "The club is great!"

"I know!" Joey said back as he looked back to her. "See, he passed down that club to me when I was twenty two," he explained. "What he seems to always forget is that club was near being to an end. That's why he dumped it on me, and bam! I was in the family business, just like that."

Willow's jaw had dropped. "I didn't know it was your brother's club," she stated. Joker rolled his eyes.

"Where have you been," he mumbled. Willow ignored him, hoping Joey would go on with his story.

"He always _knew_ that he ran that club better than me, but it had no business, until Jack rolled along," he added with a toss of his hand and he leaned back to stare at the TV. Willow glanced to Joker before she looked back to Joey. She felt left out, wanting to know everything she could about Joker and even Joey's history. She felt like all she wanted to do was sit in the living room and listen to them share stories. She had never been so interested in someone's history before. Her stomach dropped, however, when she realized she would probably never know more than she did now. She took a large sip of her soda and swallowed quickly, as if swallowing back her thoughts.

"Well, what time are we leaving?" She asked.

"Ten," Joey said blandly.

"Are you coming?" Willow asked as she turned to Joker. He laughed slightly before he turned to her.

"I _can't_, doll," he said. Willow frowned, and Joker laughed again when he noticed this. "I'll be _recognized_ sweets. And I'm not about to there without my-"

"Pretty, pretty make-up," Joey said sourly and sarcastically as he stood up. Joker frowned at him before he grinned slightly.

"'Least I got a head full of _hair!_" Joker shot back. Joey turned around.

"I _do_ have hair!" He said back loudly, Joker laughing all the while.

"I've never seen any," Joker shot back, and Willow couldn't help but grin as she looked to Joey. Joey paused, pointing at Joker, seeming as though he was going to say something, only a second later to wave his hand and start towards the stairs. Joker continued to laugh as he shook his head and he turned back to the TV.

"So you're really not going?" Willow asked with a pout.

"Nope," Joker said simply. Willow sighed, and without another word she leaned back on the couch, not exactly excited about having to be there without him.

Once ten rolled around, Joey, Dan and Willow all took Joey's car to the club.

"So, Whitney," Dan started as he turned to face Willow in the backseat, Joey speeding down the road angrily. "How did you get into dancing?"

"Um," she started. She wasn't sure what to say. Did she tell him the truth or come up with a story? Joker may have been good at it, but she sure wasn't. "I-I was sort of forced into it."

"Oh?" Dan asked with wide eyes. "Why? By who? It was Joey, right?" He asked as he tilted his head to the side, nodding slightly. Willow narrowed her eyes on him.

"No," she said. "By my un- my father. When I was nineteen."

"That's tragic," Dan said somewhat passively as he turned back around. "Our father was never one to force us to do anything, or, at least _me_," he went on to say. Willow narrowed her eyes on him again, and she glanced at Joey's angry face in the rear-view mirror. "My mother was a stripper," Dan went on to say as he looked back to Willow. "I guess it just runs in the family. It's only natural Joey would have gotten with one," he said with a wide smile. Willow raised an eyebrow. "Though I can't imagine why he'd get with such a low-"

"She is _not_ low," Joey said. "She should have been working at Line the whole time," he defended. Willow softly smiled at this, knowing his defense was real.

"Well yes, but all I'm saying is Mother was a very classy stripper, very... clean. And you know how Dad was," he added. He turned back to Willow in his seat. "Father was the one who would be drinking _wine_ at the club," he said with a laugh. "_Wine! _It doesn't get much more classy than that!"

Willow forced a fake smile, still trying to figure out if Dan had insulted her. She'd make him eat his words. She was good, and she knew it.

Once they had reached the club, Dan breathed in deeply that Gotham air as he looked up to the building. "Wow, Joey," he said. "This place hasn't changed at all! I mean look, it _still_ needs a paint job. Maybe some new tint on those windows and doors."

Joey rolled his eyes as he growled, waiting for Willow to make her way around the car. He placed his hand on her lower back as they started towards the door, a few men outside wearing suits smoking cigarettes, glaring heavily at them. Joey opened the door, allowing Willow to step in front of him before he walked in, not bothering to hold the door for his brother. Dan's eyes widened once he stepped inside, and his jaw dropped before he quickly wiped the look of surprise off his face. Joey noticed and smirked at him as he crossed his arms, Willow standing nervously next to him.

"It's great, huh?" Joey asked as he nodded. "_Full_ of people."

"The club was full when I owned it, Joey," Dan said somewhat quietly. "It's just..." he trailed off as he looked around, noticing all the dancers on the three stages, how busy the bar was, and how literally every table was full with men who thought of themselves as important. Dan had no idea the type's of people who went to Joey's club...

Joey sighed when he realized Dan was to stubborn to admit that Joey was doing a better job than he ever had with the place, and he placed his arm around Willow's waist, lightly gripping her hip as they started down the main isle towards the stages, Dan following quickly behind.

Willow noticed how all the other girls were scowling at her, most likely wondering why she was alone with Joey with no sight of Joker. She ignored them and continued to walk while Dan busied himself with glancing around.

"Joey where did the picture of Dad go?"

"It's in my office," Joey said flatly.

"Oh," Dan said in the same tone. "I'm _sure_ you've changed it up in there, yes?"

"The furniture's all the same, Danny."

Dan scowled from behind his younger brother and he rolled his eyes. They stopped at the curtain as Joey slid his arm from Willow and turned to her just as a blond girl was coming out from the private room. She stopped by them and smiled up at Joey, quickly glancing at Dan before she looked back to Joey.

"Hi, Joey," she purred with a smile as she leaned closer to him. He ignored her and continued to look at Willow.

"Hurry and change quickly," Joey commanded as he looked to Willow. "I want you to go on with the next song."

"Well God, Joey," Dan said as he crossed his arms. "I know she works here but is that any way to talk to your girlfriend?"

"_Girlfriend_?" The blond asked as she leaned back, a shocked look on her face. She turned to Willow and raised an eyebrow as she frowned, and she looked her up and down, smirking at her appearance as Willow glared at her. "Since when?"

"Courtney, why don't you go find something to do?" Joey said quickly as he turned to her, and he placed his hands on her shoulders, turning her around, and he gently pushed her back towards the private room. She started towards the curtain, looking back for a split second to glare at them with a large frown before she finally disappeared behind the curtain. Willow nervously looked at Dan, who had his eyebrow raised and his arms crossed.

"So word hasn't really gotten around about you two yet, huh?" He asked skeptically. Joey nodded and was about to speak but Dan quickly interrupted. "Well I know Dad wasn't ashamed of his relationship."

"Danny I'm not _ashamed_," Joey started. He seemed at a loss of words, and he held out his hand towards the stage. "Just go change Wil- Whitney," he quickly corrected. Willow turned around and started towards the dressing room without another word.

"You act like it," Dan started as he followed Joey behind the curtain towards the private room. "I'm just saying that Dad-"

"Dan shut up about Dad, okay?" Joey said. Dan shut his mouth with a frown as he followed Joey up to his office.

After a short, stressful conversation about the office décor, Joey and Dan made their way back downstairs, stealing a table at the front. They sat at the table just a new song just started. From behind the stage Willow took a deep breath before she strutted out. The first thing she noticed as she took the pole was Dan leaned in towards Joey, telling him something over the loud bass-full music. _Most likely a complaint_, Willow thought.

"You play actual, lyrical music?" Dan asked through the music. Joey leaned away from him and nodded. Dan frowned and leaned back over. "Dad wouldn't ever play something you could hear on the radio, Joey. The music he played was _custom_."

"Times have changed, Dan," Joey said in a very annoyed tone as he rolled his eyes. He took a deep, steadying breath and looked to the stage, trying to desperately drown out the negative energy his brother brought on and focus all his attention on Willow.

Dan had totally stopped talking as he watched Willow through the whole song, never taking his eyes off of her. There was something majestic with how she moved her hips and the way her curly and wavy hair swayed. He noticed how she seemed so at ease, happy and confident in what she was doing, but most of all he noticed her talent. He fidgeted in his seat next to Joey as he continued to watch her.

"She is good," he said. Joey turned to him with a content grin on his face.

"I know," he said. "I only hire the best of the best, Danny."

Dan kept his mouth closed, watching as Willow finished her dance. He looked around when the club cheered, and smirked at Willow's poor attempt to somewhat cover herself up as she skipped off the stage. Joey stretched his arms out in front of him, a content, cocky grin on his face when he turned to his brother.

"Well?"

"Well what?" Dan asked as they stood from the table.

"You gonna take back all that you said?"

"No," Danny said smoothly. "Whitney is amazing, I'll give her and... _you_ that, but there's much that needs improving."

Joey frowned, the room spinning as he looked at his brother, who was only slightly taller than him. "You've got to be kidding me."

"What?" Dan asked, truly confused and thrown off by what he considered to be his brother's pouting.

"You know this place is doing better than you ever ran it, Daniel!"

Dan flinched. "Joey, call me _Dan_! I don't know how many times I have to tell you that. You're acting like a child, _Joseph_!"

"Oh, okay," Joey said with a laugh as he backed away. "Who's the child now, huh? Mister 'I'm not gonna sink down to your level'," he mimicked. "You're impossible, Dan, you know? It's just never good enough." Joey shook his head and started to turn around. "Whatever, I'm done listening to you. Your opinion is shit to me. Fuck, even Jack's mean more than yours."

"That roommate of yours?" Dan asked as he quickly followed Joey. "What's his deal anyway? Why is he there? He spends a lot of time with Whitney you know..."

Joey stopped and turned around with a small smile. "What's it even matter, Dan?"

"He's creepy, bro! Those scars on his _face_? Yellow teeth? How could you be friends with someone who's so... _disgusting_!"

"He's fine, Danny. That's _not_ the issue here."

"He's probably stealing money from you, Joey. He's after your girl."

"Shut the hell up, Dan!"

"Then what's the problem? Joey you're over-reacting over nothing!"

Joey ignored him as he rolled his eyes, and he continued on to his office, leaving his brother behind.

Willow made her rounds over the next few hours and danced on stage one last time before Joey was set to leave. She noticed a strong, awkward tension, more so than before, existed between the two brothers, and she noticed how they were no longer talking to each other at all. The car ride back to the house was as silent as could be, and she preoccupied herself with staring out the window, watching the occasional car go by in the dark scenery. She glanced at the clock; it was almost one in the morning. Joey had closed up early that night, and Willow knew he was too stressed to stay there any longer.

She felt relieved once they got to the house. A cold wind blew passed Willow as her and Dan exited the car, leaving Joey to pull into the garage. Willow was the first inside, and the first thing she heard was the TV. She continued through the entryway and spotted Joker on the couch. He was lying down, his legs crossed at the ankle in front of him, his head rested on the arm rest, his arms crossed on his chest. He tilted his head back when he heard the garage door slam shut, and he grinned when he saw Willow's upside down figure. His eyes traveled down, or upward in this case, and he could see the strings from her g-string poking out from the top of her tight fitted jeans.

"Well _hello, Whitney_," he hissed. Willow grinned slightly as she looked at him; he looked so goofy. "How was work? Give any good _lap dances_?"

"Yes," Willow said. "To some fat guy."

"Charming," Joker said as he now sat up, smoothing his hair back with his hands. "I bet he _enjoyed _it."

Dan had paused in the kitchen, his eyebrow raised as he looked at the profile of Joker. A shiver ran up his spine and he quickly turned towards the fridge. Joey soon appeared, and he stormed passed everyone and marched right into his office, closing the door behind him. From on the couch, Joker raised an eyebrow before he stood up, stretching his arms in front of him.

"What a baby," Dan said from behind them in the kitchen as he shook his head, his glass of water placed gently on his lips. Joker turned to him then looked to Willow, who merely shrugged.

"Come," Joker said stupidly in that low voice of his. "We must console the wild beast with in."

He walked passed Willow, and all she could do was stand there, her face reddening as she tried not to burst into laughter. She didn't looked behind her as she followed Joker to Joey's office. He didn't bother knocking or making his presence known. Rather he opened the unlocked door and walked inside, leaving Willow to close the door. Joey was seated at his desk across from them. He had his arms folded on the desk in front of him, his head resting in them. Willow frowned as she followed Joker further into the room, and he marched up to Joey's desk, placing his palms on the wood.

"Joseph?" Joker asked in a smooth voice. "Are you... _crying_?"

"No I'm not crying!" Joey snapped as he lifted his head up. "Man, if you're going to be _annoying_, get the fuck out."

Joker laughed as he leaned away from the desk, shaking his head. "No, really Joey. I came in to ask you... _when_ is he leaving?"

Joey continued to look at his friend, his head lowered as Joker waited for an answer.

"I'm not kidding man," Joker went on. "I can't keep doing this. I look like an _old_ fucking man, Joey. I don't feel like _myself. What_ does freedom mean if you can't express yourself?"

Willow stifled a laugh and she instantly covered her mouth when Joker turned to her. He raised his eyebrows as he slowly started over to her.

"You think this is funny?" He asked. "It's not, Willow, or should I say _Whitney_. You got it easy, kiddo. All you had to do was change your name."

"Well it's not like we decided to dress up like a clown for the rest of our lives, Jack," Joey said with a smirk. Joker had finally reached Willow and he slowly circled behind her.

"Well Joey," he started. He stopped behind Willow and placed his hands on her hips, and he pulled her back towards him. "You're one to talk. Mister 'I'm so unique'." He smirked at him as his bare hands found the red strings of her underwear, and he pulled them up with his thumbs before he let them slap back down against her.

"Ow!" Willow cried as she started to turn around, but Joker held her in place as he continued to grin at Joey. Joey raised an eyebrow as he watched them before he finally shook his head, leaning back in his chair.

"And Jack I really appreciate you doing this for _me_. It's a great _favor,_ bro."

Joker rolled his eyes, and he looked down over Willow's shoulder as he tucked the strings back into her pants. "Well," he started. He slapped his hands down on Willow's hips before he moved passed her again. "When is he leaving?"

"Tomorrow," Joey groaned.

"In the morning?" Joker pushed on.

"Man I don't know."

It was on the tip of Willow's tongue to ask why he didn't just kick Dan out, but she remained quiet, still slightly confused on Joker's random act of holding her against him.

"Well," Joker said again. "Let's hope so, hmm?"

Joey sighed as he looked away, glancing at the clock on the wall. He stood finally and started around the desk. "Let's go downstairs and start figuring out how we wanna do this," he said, referring to the remodeling. Without a word both men left to go downstairs, leaving Willow wondering what she should do.

The answer was obvious. She realized she hadn't smoked a cigarette in a quite a long time, so she ventured up to the guest room to retrieve Joker's pack, and after grabbing the lighter she started back downstairs, stepping out onto the deck. She sat down at the table, placing her legs on the wooden guardrail in front of her as she looked out to the somewhat thick forest below and ahead of her, just beyond Joey's spacious, fenced backyard. She saw Arlo running around the yard, and she rolled her eyes as she lit her cigarette. She had only taken one, delicious drag when she suddenly heard the screen door open, and upon turning around she noticed it was Dan.

"Hi," he said. He sat down next to her. "Do you have any more of those?"

Without a word Willow handed him the pack and lighter, and she heard him strike the lighter behind her before he exhaled the smoke loudly.

"So," he started as he set the items on the table. "You're a pretty good dancer."

"Thank you," Willow said as she continued to look out into the scenery. "So you really owned the club before Joey did?" Willow turned around to face him, and he grinned as he nodded.

"I did," he said. "Our father owned three clubs, and our mother danced in all three after they met. Dad passed down two of the clubs to _me_, and I later sold Line of Jewels to Joey. I had bigger and better things waiting for me in _Europe_."

Willow took another drag as she nodded slightly.

"Joey seemed to hate the family business, though."

"He doesn't to me," Willow said. "He really likes it there. He-"

"He's faking," Dan said, as if he actually knew this. "He took terrible care of the place. It had no guests. Barely any dancers, and the one's he hired were shit."

Willow raised an eyebrow. That wasn't how Joey thought of it...

"I don't know," Willow said. "I've been working there for a while. I know he likes it, and he tries hard with it. It's a damn successful club."

"Well I can see how'd you think that, seeing as how you've never been to one of _my _clubs."

Willow's eyebrows met in the middle as she looked at him, watching as he ashed his cigarette onto the deck floor rather than the ashtray directly in front of him. She continued to scowl at him before she finally turned away, and just barely she could hear Joey and Joker's voices from below them at the doorway of the patio.

"_Joey, your... dog thing wants to come inside."_

_ "Then let him in!"_

_ "No."_

Willow smiled as she rolled her eyes. Dan watched as she fought the urge to laugh, and he rolled his own eyes.

"He's headed down a bad road, as my father would say. He was always on a bad track. It's destiny that he ends up with nothing."

Willow turned back to him as Joker and Joey's voices faded away. Willow shook her head as she looked away again, nearly finished with her cigarette. Dan flicked his way, and Willow watched as it flew over the deck rail, landing in the backyard. She finally stood from her chair, and she ashed her cigarette in the ash tray.

"Nice talking with you," Dan said in a happy voice. Willow ignored him, anger rising in her, and left him sitting outside, closing the screen door with a slight slam. She marched over to the stairs and she descended down them. Joey and Joker were standing the hallway of the basement, discussing something, but she ignored them and continued on towards the screen door to the patio.

"See if we make it tan though it's gonna clash with the-"

"Joey listen to yourself. You sound like a fag," Joker commented easily. Joey was about ready to punch him when he noticed Willow storm by. They both gave each other a look and followed her to the screen door, stopping at it to watch as she marched into the dying grass of the backyard. She searched for something on the ground for a few short seconds, Arlo wagging his tail from behind her as he happily followed. She finally bent down, picked something up from the grass, and she started back towards the door.

"I hate your brother, Joey," she said simply as she dropped what they finally noticed was a cigarette butt in the large tin garbage just outside the door. Joker opened the screen door for her with a smirk, stepping aside to let her in.

"What was he saying now?" Joey asked as she turned around, her arms crossed. Joker scowled as Arlo came running inside, and he slid the screen door closed before he closed the glass door.

"A bunch of shit," she said as she cocked her hip to the side. "But he threw his cigarette over the deck instead of just putting it in the damn ashtray that was _right_ in front of him!"

Joey raised an eyebrow, but Joker was quick to explain.

"Ah," he said. "One of her biggest pet peeves. Though you seemed to have no problem littering James' grave with them." He grinned at her as he tilted his head to the side.

"James' grave?" Joey asked as he turned towards Joker.

"H-he liked them," Willow said.

"Oh? And did he tell you that?" Joker asked with a smirk. Willow frowned.

"Yes he did."

"And they call _me_ crazy," Joker said with a slight laugh as he walked passed Joey now, Arlo following him back towards the hall. Joey grinned as he shook his head.

–

Around two, sleepiness seemed to finally wash over the household. Joker had already gone upstairs, Joey was in his office, and Dan was in the kitchen, rinsing off the dishes he had used for his 'midnight snack'. Willow had just turned off the TV and she walked down to hall to Joey's office. She jumped slightly when his door suddenly opened, and her back hit the wall behind her. Joey grinned at her as he took a step forward.

"I just wanted to let you know I was gonna wait in your room 'till Dan went to bed," she said.

"Okay," Joey said. "Hey also the sink in the bathroom upstairs is fucking stained with red and black-"

"Joey?"

Willow's eyes widened at Dan's voice that seemed to be right next to them, and in a panic Joey quickly pushed Willow against the wall, his lips crashing down onto hers the second he had been interrupted. She recovered from the shock quickly and went with it, lightly resting her hands on his broad shoulders just as Dan rounded the corner.

"Joey I- oh."

Joey kissed Willow one final time before he pulled away, his hands still on Willow's upper arms, holding her against the wall, and he turned his head towards his brother. Willow swallowed as she nervously looked at him.

"Sorry," he said as he straightened up. "I didn't mean to... interrupt."

"It's cool," Joey said. He finally let go of Willow and started passed Dan, Willow quickly following behind him. "We were just going to bed."

"Me too," Dan said. Joey didn't give him a chance to continue on, for he had already started up the stairs. Dan was eying Willow skeptically and she quickly started up the stairs behind Joey, and she closed his bedroom door behind her.

"Sorry about that," Joey said as he pulled back the comforter on his bed. "I... panicked." He grinned slightly at her.

"It's fine," Willow said, a small grin on her face, glad to know that Joker had already gone in his room. She noticed the light had still been on when they came upstairs, and she wondered what he was doing.

She sat on the foot of Joey's bed watching TV, and five minutes later she finally stood, deciding it was a good time to go sneak back into the guest room. She said goodnight to Joey and started towards the door.

She opened it as quietly as she could, closing it just as gently. The house was dark, save for the moonlight that shone directly on the area of the guestroom door from the large window atop the front door. Willow was trying to be a quiet as she could as she tip toed to the door. She finally reached it, only to cringe and curse at herself when her hand accidentally hit the knob of the door, the knob making a small sound. She jumped a second later when she saw something move from the corner of her eye, and upon looking down the stairs, she found herself staring down at Dan, him staring back up at her. He had just quietly opened the front door, his clothes changed into more of a casual business suit. Her heart pounded so loud she could hear it, and the room seemed to wobble as they continued to stare at each other, her eyes wide, while Dan had an eyebrow raised.

What seemed like minutes, though what was only a few seconds, passed by as they continued to look at each other. Willow swallowed as she touched her hand to the knob again. Finally a nervous smile spread onto Dan's lips, and without a word he disappeared out the door, gently closing it behind him. With a deep breath, Willow finally pushed open the guest room door, trying to make sense of what had just happened...

Sorry about the long wait guys! Thank you for the reviews! PLEASE keep them coming!  
>ALSO! I created a website for all my Joker stories! It has pictures, biographies, and lots more. It's still a work in progress but it's totally functional. Follow the link on my profile to see pictures of Joker, Willow and Joey! You'll also find a biography on Joey (Willow's is still in progress). I'll be adding much more content to the site, so please check it out and I'll keep you updated! Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Lemme see those reviews! :D<p> 


	10. Confusion's Constantly Around

Willow woke up with a start the following morning. Her heart raced as she stared up the ceiling, and she laid still, trying to figure out why. Nonetheless she felt ridiculously awake now, and she sighed as she looked over to her right, her eyes falling on a sleeping Joker. She grinned slightly as she watched his figure rise and fall, and she admired the way his dirty blond hair fell in his face, some strands rising then falling as he breathed deeply from his nose, as if almost growling. She continued to watch until a horrible memory came to mind, and she quickly sat up, recalling how Dan had caught her sneaking into Joker's room. But yet, on the other hand, she had also caught him leaving to go somewhere. She thought for a moment, deciding it was best to get out of bed and clear the situation up.

She moved out of the bed as gently as she could as to not wake Joker, and she quietly opened the door, closing it lightly behind her as she descended down the stairs. The house seemed empty as the early morning sunlight flooded in through the windows. Dan wasn't in the living room and as she walked into the kitchen she sighed as she closed her eyes. She finally turned to the fridge to take out the coffee container. If she was up _this_ early she knew she might as well make the most of it.

A few minutes later Dan emerged from the hallway, and he paused when he saw Willow in the kitchen. She turned from just turning on the coffee maker and they both stared at each other, an uneasy tension in the room. Finally Dan cleared his throat and he proceeded over to the kitchen.

"Morning," he said as he cleared his throat again. He looked over to her quickly before he turned back to the cabinet to grab a plate. Willow continued to look at him, however, trying to pull what Joker always did on her. She wanted to make him feel nervous. However, as Willow was quickly realizing, she just wasn't menacing.

"So..." Dan started a short minute later as he placed a bagel on the plate. "What exactly was it that I saw last night?" Willow swallowed as she leaned against the counter, her hip protruded to the right as she crossed her arms. Dan finally turned to look at her, forgetting about his bagel for the time being, and he crossed his own arms. "You cheating on my brother?"

"No," Willow said back as she narrowed her eyes on him. His eyes looked sunken back again, and slightly bloodshot. Something was off about him. He didn't appear so 'professional' and clean as he normally tried to be. It looked as though he had a pretty rough night.

"That's bullshit," Dan said with a laugh as he turned back around.

"Where were _you_ going last night?" Willow asked as she stared at the back of his head. Dan could feel her gaze, but he tried his best to ignore her.

"Nowhere," he answered after a long pause, and Willow cocked an eyebrow.

"Well talk about _bullshit_," she said smoothly, and she smiled nicely at him once he turned around, his face slightly reddened. "I'm not the most sensible person around, but your facial expression is telling me that I shouldn't believe you."

Dan continued to glare at her. Where was all this coming from? She was normally so quiet. It was obvious she was hiding something herself, otherwise she wouldn't be so up on finding out where he had gone...

"Okay," Dan said slowly as he tossed his knife, covered in cream cheese, into the sink. "Explain why I saw you _sneaking_ into Jack's room last night."

"I was just going in there to-"

"Without knocking? Whitney I _watched_ you. You quietly sneaked out of Joey's room and instantly started for Jack's door. But what I don't understand is, your timing. You weren't even gone for five minutes. I know Joey wasn't asleep by then..."

_Damn_. She had this in the bag. She knew no matter what she wasn't in the fault. It didn't matter if Dan thought she was 'cheating' on Joey, when fact of the matter was she wasn't, therefore nobody would have anything to be upset about. But now Dan was onto something, and Willow swallowed nervously, scared she had just spoiled the charade.

"What's going on Whitney?"

Willow continued to stare at him, her eyes narrowed and her lips thin. He continued to stare back at her. The room was deathly quiet, the only noise being the gurgling from the coffee maker. Willow wasn't sure what to say or do.

"What's going on with you?" She asked. "I want to know where you were going."

"And I want to know why you were _sneaking_ into Jack's room." It fell silent again as they continued to glare at each other. Finally Dan rolled his eyes and he sighed. "Okay fine. I won't tell Joey what I saw if _you_ don't tell Joey what _you_ saw. Deal?"

"Deal," Willow said. She continued to glare at him until finally Dan started passed her to sit at the table. She shook her head as she turned to grab out two mugs from the cabinet. She poured the coffee into them, fixing them up with cream and sugar. She turned off the coffee maker, grabbed both mugs, and started towards the stairs.

"Is there anymore coffee?" Dan asked. She stopped and looked behind her shoulder.

"Oh, no. Sorry." She smirked at him, a large frown on his face, and she proceeded upstairs.

She managed to open the door and she stepped inside the dark room, placing her mug of coffee down on the same table as the snakes. Rampage instantly rattled his tail, his annoying habit that nearly kept Willow up all night, and she closed the door behind her. Joker stirred in the bed, and her heart pounded nervously as she started over towards his side of the bed, being careful not to trip over anything. Suddenly she wasn't sure what possessed her to decide to bring Joker some coffee, and in _bed, _no less. She held her ground once she reached his side of the bed. He finally turned onto his back, and he opened his eyes slowly, not even reacting to seeing Willow standing next to the bed, watching him. He raised an eyebrow at her as he glared, trying to adjust his eyes to the darkness.

"I brought you some coffee," Willow said, a small smile appearing on her lips a short second after. Joker raised an eyebrow at her, and just when she thought he was going to go off on her, a sleepily grin spread on his bare lips.

"So you did," he said sleepily. He finally sat up, and Willow couldn't help but look down to his bare chest for a split second once the blanket fell. After he turned on the lamp next to him, he leaned against his pillows and Willow handed him the steaming hot mug of coffee. "So," Joker went on after he had taken a sip, surprised to find she had made it just how he always preferred. "What's the occasion?"

Willow was returning back to the bed after she had grabbed her own mug. Joker eyed her legs in her shorts before his eyes roamed back up. Willow didn't seem to notice as she got back on the bed, and she crossed her legs, Indian style as she sat on her side of the bed, facing Joker. She finally shrugged. "I don't know," she said truthfully. "So, um... Dan saw me coming in here last night."

"Oh?" Joker asked as he raised his eyebrows, bringing the mug to his lips. She could just see the ends of his scars peaking from around the giant mug and she stared blankly at them. "And what... _conclusions_ did ol' Danny come to?"

"He thinks I'm cheating on Joey."

"Well now," Joker said with that same wide grin. "Looks like we have our own soap opera goin' on."

"I caught him leaving somewhere too, though." Willow said. "He was literally just going out the door."

"Interesting," Joker said as he nodded. Willow continued to stare at him with wide, worried eyes as he went on with his coffee, _trying_ to enjoy it. "Am I missing the punch line here? Because I'm not seeing the big deal in all of this."

"No it's just he's not as stupid as Joey says. He knew Joey wasn't asleep when I left, so he knows that Joey knows I left."

"Well _Nancy Drew_," Joker said as he sat up a little more. He looked at her for a split second before he looked back down to his coffee. He took another sip. "Are you suggesting that you nearly blew our _cover_?"

"Well, yeah," Willow said. Joker stared at her a moment longer before his face scrunched up into a smile, his eyes closed, as he laughed. Willow raised an eyebrow.

"What a _great_ start to my morning," Joker said. "Willow, he's _leaving_ today. And knowing Joey he'll be kicking him out bright and early."

Willow continued to look at him and she finally sighed as she took another sip of her coffee. Rampage rattled his tail behind her and Joker grinned.

"We're gonna have to tell Joey about the snakes," he said. When Willow looked back up to him she saw that he was smiling widely.

"Why?" She asked.

"Because he's the only one that is going to be able to get our dear little pets food."

Willow frowned. "He's not going to go out every week to get them rats."

"Oh, he will," Joker said. "Let's not forget who I am here!"

Willow smiled slightly as she took another sip of her coffee. She had a feeling today was going to be a rather good day due to the fact it already had a great start...

–

About an hour later, after Joker had gotten dressed and Joey had gotten out of bed, everyone was gathered back downstairs. Willow was busy rinsing her and Joker's mugs in the sink and loading the dishwasher while Dan, Joey and Joker all sat at the table. Joey was reading the newspaper while Joker looked at the comics section. Dan was busy drinking his own cup of coffee.

"Oh, Joey," Dan started suddenly. Willow looked up to him and he grinned at her before he looked back to his brother.

"What?" Joey asked, his morning voice gruff.

"I won't be staying in Gotham for another week," he said. "Some things have come up and I have to get back home."

"That's good," Joey said as he idly turned the page of the news paper. Joker looked up to Dan over the top of the comics page with a childish grin.

"I'd say so," Dan said as he stood from the table. "It's about time I get back to some normality and organization."

"I couldn't agree with you more," Joey said passively as he started on a new news headline. He had just opened his mouth to say something to Willow but quickly stopped himself, and instead read the article himself. Dan was nice enough to hand Willow his plate, and he disappeared around the corner for a shower.

Joker placed the newspaper on the table and he stood from his seat. "Hey _Joey_!" He said cheerfully. Joey glanced up at him with tired eyes. "I know you're probably _not_ in the mood for this, and since I don't really care, me and Willow here have something to _show_ you."

"Oh no," Joey said slowly. "_What_?"

"You'll _see_," Joker said. He turned and started towards the stairs. Joey dreadfully looked over to Willow.

"What did he do?"

Willow was at a loss for words as she looked at him. Finally she closed the dishwasher and started out of the kitchen.

"I don't want to be the one to explain," she said.

"Smart move, girly," Joey said as he finally stood from the table. With a growl he followed Willow up the stairs towards the opened guest bedroom door. Once he was in earshot, he paused on the top stair.

"Did I just hear... _rattling_?"

Willow nervously turned around and grinned slightly before she continued inside. Joey closed his eyes and took a deep, calming breath before he started in the room. He turned and looked to the two tanks sitting on the long, wooden table, disbelief all over his face.

"I tell you not to do anything stupid," he started as he looked at the rattlesnake in its large tank. "And what does he do?"

"I'm not _stupid_, Joseph," Joker said in his defense. Joey turned to Joker, glancing down at the smaller snake in his hand. Joey sighed as she turned around, closing the door behind him. Joker remained standing while Willow sat on the bed, Joey taking a lounge chair in the corner of the room, opposite of the door.

"Why a _rattlesnake_?" Joey asked. "You know those are-"

"Yes Joey, I _know_. I have a plan." Joker grinned at him. Joey rolled his eyes.

"You _always _have a plan, Jack," he said. "Why do _I_ gotta be involved in it?"

"Because you'll like it," Joker said. "_And _it'll just be like the good ol' days, hmm? All those sweet, chaotic acts..."

"...that almost made me lose the club?" Joey continued on as he raised his eyebrows, tilting his head to the side. Willow looked back and forth between Joker and Joey, desperate to know what the incident was. "They fun at the time Jack but they almost cost me big time, ya feel me?"

"That's not true and you _know_ it," Joker said. "You are as paranoid as they come, Joey."

"I am _not_ paranoid, man, I-"

"And defensive!" Joker said. Willow smiled slightly as Joker sat on the bed. Joey glared at her before he turned back to Joker.

"So what's this plan?" Joey asked. "That requires a _snake_."

"Not the just the snake, Joey," Joker said as he rolled his eyes. "The snake's _venom_."

"I'm not sure I follow," Joey said sarcastically as he leaned forward. "_Please_ explain."

"Venomous bullets, Joey!" Joker said.

"What?" Willow asked as she made a face behind Joker. He ignored her for the time being, figuring he'd break it down for her later.

"Why?" Joey asked as he shook his head. "What's the point?"

Joker sighed loudly as he slumped his shoulders. "The only point is because we _can_. We go out on a joy ride, shoot at a few... moving targets, and watch as, for the time being, Gotham becomes confused-"

"-as to why people are getting silly gunshots to the legs and arms and dying of heart failure?"

"Exactly," Joker said, his eyes wide and eyebrows raised, exposing those wrinkles. Joey stared at him before he a grin spread onto his face. "_Ha!_" Joker said as he quickly stood up, Crystal tightening around his hand. "I _knew_ you'd go for it, I taught you well, Joey!"

Joey continued to smile as he shook his head. "And how are you going to harvest this venom?" Joey asked as he finally stood."

"I just need a few supplies," Joker said. "All I need you to do is be the provider of the food."

Joey rolled his eyes and he looked down to the snake in Joker's hand.

"Why you get that snake?" He asked finally. Joker held it up and he nodded over to Willow.

"It's hers," he said simply with a shrug. Joey looked over to Willow, who looked confused as ever. Joey grinned at her before he finally turned to leave the room. Willow watched silently as Joker put Crystal away in the tank, and after locking it, he exited the room behind Joey.

–

The morning seemed to move passed quickly. Joey spent most of his time in his office while Joker hung out in the basement. Dan had left somewhere after breakfast, leaving Willow to wander around. After she had smoked two cigarettes she finally went inside just as Joey was coming out of his office, holding a bottle of rum.

"Hey," he said with a grin as he went into the kitchen.

"Hi," Willow said as she leaned against the counter. "Isn't it a bit early?"

"Nah," Joey said easily. "It's never too early."

Willow smiled as she watched him fill a glass with ice. He brought it and the bottle over to the counter where he proceeded to pour the liquid.

"What's Joker doing downstairs?"

"I don't know," Joey said as he capped the rum. "I think it was a mistake of me to ask him to help..."

Willow laughed. "Why?"

"Because if I have an opinion on what would look better, I'm gay. If I don't want to knock out a wall completely, I'm lazy. But if I want to add on to the room, I'm asking too much." Willow laughed as Joey rolled his eyes, and he took a big sip from his glass. "Jack is fucking impossible."

"What was he talking about this morning?" Willow asked as she continued to look at him. "About the 'good ol' days' or whatever?"

Joey smiled as he nodded, swallowing his second sip. "Just, stupid things we used to do after he came to Gotham."

"Like what?" Willow asked, her eyes wide, full of curiosity.

"I don't know," Joey said. "A ton of shit. Ask Jack."

"He won't tell me anything," Willow complained. Joey sighed.

"Just, everyday, average crime shit. Robbing places, getting in with all the big names, killing people."

Willow was smiling. "What happened?" She asked finally. "Why don't you do it anymore?"

"Two reasons," Joey said as he started around the counter. "I'm _not_ about to go to jail and lose everything I've worked hard to get, and Jack seems to think he's too good for all the... petty stuff."

"What's this venom thing then?" Willow asked as she took a step closer to him. "He said himself he doesn't have a reason."

Joey sighed, rolling his eyes as he nodded. "Dudes unpredictable. Right when you think you've got him figured out, he pulls a fast one on ya."

Joey turned around, leaving Willow to stand there and watch as he rounded the corner to head downstairs. She sighed; Joey was right. Lately all Willow had been wanting to do was know more about Joker, or Jack more specifically. She wanted to know who he was before the random, murderous clown. She knew he had a history, everyone did, and she was desperate to find out what it was.

She turned towards Joey's office, and she gently shut the door behind her once she stepped inside. The dark red curtains were drawn shut, leaving the room in almost complete darkness until she flipped on the lights. She eyed his computer on the desk, wondering to herself if she could find _anything_ on the internet. She knew it was useless and completely stupid to even try, but the optimistic side of her was telling her that maybe it was her lucky day, and she'd actually find something. The small, silly force was enough to drive her onto the computer.

Grateful Joey had no password protecting his system, she brought up the internet and wasted no time with searching 'Jack Napier'. Almost instantly links upon links came up with the name, but much to Willow's disappointment none of them were Joker. She had no idea there were so many people with his name all around. She browsed all different search engines, clicking on random links here and there, and she even searched pictures, slightly confused as to why none of Joker from the news or newspaper clippings appeared. She wished she knew his middle name, it would certainly help. The minutes ticked on, and finally, after looking at the last profile picture of 'Jack Michelson Napier', this particular man very fat and very bald, she finally exited the browser with a sigh. She leaned back in the chair, staring blankly at a picture of what appeared to be Joey's parents on his desk in a dark, cherry wood frame. She finally forced herself up, and she wandered out of the room.

Just as she started up the stairs, Joker and Joey were just coming up from the basement laughing about something. Joker locked eyes with her before she started up the stairs, Joker right behind her.

"What was so funny?" Willow asked once they stepped into the room.

"Nothin', you wouldn't get it," Joker said passively as he headed over to the closet. Willow glared at the back of his head as he pushed over the shirts that hung in there. He finally reached his purple coat and he reached into the pocket, drawing out his purple gloves. She finally sucked in a breath and exhaled slowly as if easing her slight anger.

"What have you been doing, dear, little Willow?" Joker asked as he turned around holding one of his blue patterned button-down shirts and his gloves. He set the shirt on the bed before he started over to the snake tanks to peer inside.

"Nothing," she said quickly. "Um, I have a question..."

"What?" Joker asked as he slowly turned to her, and she detected nothing but annoyance in his tone and facial expression. She pushed herself on anyway.

"What's your middle name?"

Joker glared at her for a moment before he finally leaned up, smiling slightly. "Why?"

"I was just wondering," Willow answered quickly.

Joker continued to grin. "Mhm... well don't worry about it," he said finally. "If I tell you you'll probably go _scamper_ off to the computer and perform your own _background_ check on me!" He was laughing now and shaking his , knowing the thought was purely ridiculous as he started over back towards the door. Willow felt as if she had been stung and her stomach dropped as her eyes grew wide. Joker paused at the door, however, noticing the silence that suddenly fell on her, and he slowly turned around, an eyebrow raised. Finally Willow forced a smile and she rolled her eyes.

"No," she finally said with a playful grin, making a beeline to the stairs passed Joker. Joker watched her quickly go down them, an eyebrow raised, before he finally closed the door behind him as he started down as well.

Joey was sitting at the table, reading the paper while Willow was on the deck with a pack of cigarettes, her back to the door. As Joker walked passed Joey he slapped his head with his glove, quickly continuing to the kitchen as he put it on his hand. Joey let out an annoyed sigh as he looked over to glare at Joker.

"Cute," he said.

"I try," Joker said as he opened the cabinet for a glass.

"You don't have to," Joey said sarcastically as he turned back to the paper. Joker let out an obnoxious laugh and he shook his head as he filled the glass with water and he started over to the table.

"First you can't decide on what colors will _compliment_ each other for the basement and now you think I'm _cute_. I _knew_ the strip club was just a cover-up, Joey."

"Shut up," Joey said, though he couldn't help but grin slightly. "Look, isn't this that dude that Willow was tight with at the crazy-house?"

Joker set his glass down on the table after he sat down and he leaned over as Joey held out the paper for him to see. Joker glanced down at the picture before he looked to the title: 'Jonathan Crane, Former Psychiatrist Released From Arkham'.

"Hmm," Joker said as he studied the picture again. "It is."

"Better be careful, bro," Joey said as he leaned back again. He turned the page of the newspaper a few times, trying to remember where he had left off in the morning, ignoring Joker's glare.

"What is _that_ supposed to mean?" He asked as he leaned back, picking up his glass.

"It means he's probably just as psycho as you and may go lookin' for her." Joey nodded to the glass door as if Joker didn't understand he was talking about Willow.

"He can _try_," Joker said as he looked out of the glass door. Willow was sitting in one of the chairs on the side of the table that was out there, her legs propped up on the railing, her back to them. He watched as her tangled hair blew in the slight wind, and his eyes traveled down her slender arm to the cigarette she held daintily between her fingers. He finally turned back to Joey. "As long as she stays in this house he won't find her." He grinned.

"You better hope so," Joey said as he turned the page. "Because if she's discovered, _I_ go to jail."

"And we couldn't have that," Joker said with that same grin as he continued to look at Joey. "Although I'm sure there _are_ some _desperate_ men there who would just _love_ to talk color complimentary with you."

"Enough with the gay jokes, Jack!" Joey said as he looked over to Joker with wide eyes. "I'm not gay."

"Obviously," Joker mumbled as he took another sip of his water. Joey continued to glare at him until he suddenly grinned.

"Yeah," he said nodding. "You're right, maybe I am gay. I _was_ gay enough to fuck Willow in my office... with _you _standing right there." He continued to grin proudly at Joker, loving the way his friend's i face completely fell as he glared at him. Something changed in his eyes as Joker glared at Joey, his mind racing back to that night. He could hear Willow's moans brought on by Joey echoing in his head, and finally he glanced down at his water. It had seemed like a good idea at the time...

"We all have our urges, Joseph," Joker said with a forced, small smile before he took a sip of his water, ending the joke once and for all. Joey continued to stare at Joker, an eyebrow cocked, trying to figure out if he had actually just offended Joker or not. Finally he realized he didn't really care, and his eyes wandered down to his gloves.

"You goin' somewhere?" He asked as he looked back up to his face.

"Yup." Joker finished his water and stood up. "This look is great and all, but it's time to bring _Joker_ back."

Joey let out a snort of laughter as he shook his head and he looked back to the newspaper. "You're a fucking riot."

"I try," Joker said as he put his glass in the counter.

"You don't have to," Joey purposely said. "Where are you going?"

"Well _father_," Joker said. "If you _must_ know I need to get my hair dye from Rocco. Might I borrow some money for _gas?"_

Joey glared at him again and shook his head. "Get out of here."

"Gladly," Joker answered. He started to the the stairs only to stop suddenly, and he turned around, a thought occurring to him. "Joey?" He asked. "Do you have a password on your computer?"

"No," Joey said slowly as he looked over to Joker. "Why...?"

Joker merely shrugged and continued over to the stairs, leaving Joey to sigh in annoyance as he looked back to the paper, wondering why he had invited him to stay at his house in the first place.

–

Willow hadn't even realized she fell asleep until she woke with a start once she heard the guestroom door shut. Behind sleepy eyelids she watched as Joker made his way into the room, and she jumped slightly when he suddenly turned around. He had on his face-paint, a sight she had started to get used to not seeing him with, and his dirty blond hair was down, the green nearly completely out of it. She watched as he set down a cardboard box on his end table before he went about taking off his coat to hang it in the closet.

"What's that?" She asked as she sat up now.

"Hair dye," Joker answered simply. She nodded to herself as she started to get out of bed. She stood up, stretching her arms over her head just as Joker turned to look at her.

"So," Joker started as he pushed up his shirt sleeves and he took a step closer to the bed, away from the closet. "Let me tell you something..."

Willow froze, her green eyes wide as she stared at the Joker. A cold chill rushed over her as Joker took another few steps over until he stood just a foot or two away from her. Joker noticed the fright that had quickly entered her, and he liked it, but he had no time to enjoy it for the time being.

"See, I didn't tell you my last name so you could search me on the _internet_." He paused, lowering her head as he gazed into her eyes. Her lips parted and she looked to the left nervously before she looked to the right, and she brought her hands up to her upper arms before she looked down slightly, and she looked up at him with sad and scared eyes. He waited a few more seconds, the room deathly silent.

"Smart of you _not _to act clueless about it," Joker complimented. "Because you leave behind some hard evidence. Ever hear of deleting your history? Try it next time."

Willow continued to frown as she looked away. Joker, however, was not finished.

"Not only is it _stupid_ to even _think_ you'd find something about... who I _was_... on the internet, but I can't help but be a little annoyed, Willow."

"Why?" She asked finally. "I was just trying to-"

"Because," Joker cut her off. "It doesn't matter, especially to _you_." He finally turned around, and Willow made the mistake to keep talking.

"You're always saying 'remember when...' or talking about the 'good old days'," she started as she took a step forward. "I just want to know what they are."

Joker laughed slightly as he turned around. _I should have killed her when I had the chance_, he thought to himself. He shook his head before he looked back up to her.

"Okay," Joker said as he stepped closed to her again. "Brief Joker history for you..." he paused, glancing down at his shoes before he glanced back up to Willow with his eyes narrowed. "My parents divorced when I was thirteen. Mom got in _another_ abusive relationship while my step-mom _hated_ me. I moved to Detroit with my dad, where I was forced to constantly watch my back. I killed my best friend and his girlfriend, came to Gotham, met Joey, did this-" he stopped to lick the scars from the inside of his mouth, his cheeks protruding out as he did, "-to myself, and now here we are."

Willow's jaw had dropped as she let all that he had quickly told her sink in. He had lived in Detroit? He killed his _best friend_ and his girlfriend? She was as confused as ever and found herself wanting him to elaborate, but yet, on the other hand, she couldn't believe she actually knew_ something_ about him now. She knew her and Joey were probably the only people who did.

"You've gotta remember, _doll_," Joker started up again as he took another step forward, and he quickly grabbed Willow's neck. She gasped and her hands instantly flew up to his wrist and fingers, and she tried to pry them off as he pulled her closer to him, but his grip was too strong. "You're here with the _Joker_, not _Jack_. I'm not about to get all... cozy comfy with you and share my _life story_. You'll never know more than you do now, and we're going to keep it that way." His voice was low and demonic, and Willow could feel her legs noticeably shaking as she desperately tried to breathe. She continued to stare into his glazed over eyes, her hands still clutched tightly around his wrist, and it appeared as though things were starting to get fuzzy and dark. "It's a wonder I haven't _killed _you yet," Joker hissed as he brought his head down closer to hers. "So _don't_ give me a reason to. Understand?"

Willow's eyes had widened to twice their normal size, and she felt Joker loosen his grip on her neck, giving her time to quickly say her answer.

"Yes." Her voice was raspy and faint as she swallowed, her neck throbbing in pain as she struggled to breath.

"I _knew _you would," Joker growled. He had completely loosened his grip around her neck, but he kept his hand there. He stared into her frightened eyes, finally enjoying that fear that he hadn't seen in them for a while. It seemed as though Willow had started to get pretty comfortable around him, and it did him good to bring back some of that fright that was supposed to exist towards him with her.

His eyes dropped down to her lips, and he randomly thought back to what Joey had said. He grinned suddenly as he continued to eye them. The only other thing that Willow should feel between them other than fear was _confusion_. He chuckled deeply before he leaned down, softly touching his lips to hers. He felt Willow jump slightly at his random act, and he grinned against her lips as he kissed her harder, finally releasing his grip completely from her neck. His slid his hand down her chest and placed it on her hip, his other gloved hand following in suit with the other. He moved his fingers under her shit and squeezed while she finally lifted her hands to the outside of his arms, and she clutched the bunched up fabric of his blue shirt as she finally dared to kiss back.

Joker thought back to what Joey had said, and it slightly angered him to think back to that night in his office. He knew Joey was attracted to Willow, just as everyone else at his club probably was, and he decided to take it upon himself to remind Willow, and even himself, who it was that brought on those loud screams from her. He swiftly caught her bottom lip in between his teeth and he bit down on it as he turned Willow towards the foot of the bed and he pushed her down on it. He was instantly leaning over her and he gently pushed her onto her back. She could feel the tips of his hair ticking her face as she continued to kiss him. Her body shook with anticipation, wondering what he was going to do. She shivered as his gloved hands traveled down the side of her body before he hooked his thumbs in the top of her pajama pants, and he pulled them and her underwear down, the garments sliding from her legs and feet to the floor.

"I don't _want_ to kill you," Joker admitted, his lips still against hers as he glanced into her eyes. He was running his hands over her thighs, the leather from his gloves cool as she tried to keep her eyes open, and she swallowed nervously. "But you _do_ need to be... _punished_." His eyes widened as he spoke, and Willow was just about to speak in protest, only to suddenly groan and toss her head back when Joker forced her legs apart, pushing them down and apart further than they were meant to go. She brought her head back up and she watched with wide eyes as Joker hovered over her glistening, wet pussy. Her lips parted as he grinned up at her, and she let out the loudest moan ever when Joker's tongue came to trace her clit. Her head fell back against the bed, and despite the pain of Joker holding her legs apart, she brought her hips up, quivering all the while.

She bit her lip, trying to suppress all the obnoxious sounds she wanted to make as Joker continued to trace the tip of his tongue up and down the length of her, slowly. He could feel how badly her body was shaking and he grinned before he flattened his tongue, using it as a whole as he traveled from bottom to top, pleased to find Willow tasted good. Finally Willow moaned loudly, just barely off from a scream, and she brought her head back further as she clutched the comforter, her arms spread on either side of her. Joker laughed deeply and darkly to himself as he leaned away from her, stretching his legs. Already panting, Willow finally opened her eyes and looked up at his grinning face.

"With pleasure always comes _pain_," he said lowly. "Bend over."

Willow felt frozen on the spot until Joker nodded down, losing patience, and she could barely feel herself moving as she slid off the edge of the bed. Her mind wandered and she grew nervous as she lowered herself on the bed, holding herself up on her forearms. _Pain_?

Joker pushed down on her lower back, forcing her to lift her heart-shaped ass in the air more, and he stared down at it as he circled around to the other side, and he rubbed his palms together. Breathing heavily, Willow had just turned to look behind her shoulder at what he was doing when she suddenly cried out. Joker's hand barely stung as he brought it away from her ass, and he slapped her again hard, grinning when she cried out again. Willow bit her lip, her only attempt to hold in her shouts as he slapped her ass again and again. The pain was intense, though she found herself wanting to admit she sort of liked it. His gloves only caused it to sting more, which she was sure he knew, but she wasn't sure how much more she could take. She continued to hold on to her lip between her teeth as Joker brought his hand back, preparing to slap her with all that he had. He thinned his lips with a grin as his hand flew through the air, and an unexpected Willow felt her teeth just barely go through her bottom lip before she cried out, tasting blood on her tongue. She groaned as she lowered her head, and in the distance she could hear Joker laughing to himself. He placed both his hands on her butt, rubbing the bright red marks on it as he looked to the back of her head. He slapped it, hard, one final time with both hands before his slid his fingers down. His hand traveled back up to grip her hip while he used his other to trace the length of her from behind. She moaned slightly as she lifted her head back up to breath, but her breath hitched in her throat when Joker struck his finger inside her, pushing it in as far as it would go. The glove caused his finger to fill her up more and she continued to moan as he slid it in and out of her with ease.

All too soon Joker was suddenly flipping her over, and he grabbed her hips as he pulled her all the way to the edge of the bed again, her ass stinging. She tried to keep her eyes open as she watched Joker lower himself again, and she closed her eyes for a second when she felt him make contact to her with his tongue. But rather than slowly tracing her, he moved his tongue quickly back and forth over her clit, occasionally moving it in tight circles around it with various pressures. She opened her eyes again, only taking in the site of his demonic, painted face and some remnants of his face-paint on the inside of her thighs before they slid shut again and she hung her head back as she kept herself propped up on her elbows. She panted as she moaned out, her moans growing louder and louder as she felt herself about ready to finish. Joker put pressure on her most sensitive spot with his tongue as he moved it over her one last time, sensing her orgasm approaching. Willow could feel it creeping up on her until Joker suddenly stopped completely. Her eyes snapped open and she lifted her head just in enough time to see him grinning evilly at her as he stood up straight. He continued to grin at her as he stretched his arms, and he moved his head side to side, cracking his neck.

"You've got to be _kidding_ me," Willow said somewhat angrily as she continued to glare at him with wide eyes.

"I told you you had to be _punished_," Joker growled. His grin stretched into a full on satisfied smile and he turned to head to the door. Willow thinned her lips and breathed in deeply through her nose. She was _not_ having it end that way, especially when she had been so close.

Joker had just touched his hand to the knob of the door when he heard movement on the bed behind him. He turned back towards Willow just in enough time to see she had scooted back some. Her legs were parted, and she grinned deviously at him. He watched as she licked off the blood from her lip before she sucked on her middle and ring fingers, and she stuck them inside herself, breathing out deeply as she did. Joker slowly raised an eyebrow as his hand fell from the doorknob, and he continued to watch as Willow moved her fingers in and out of her deeply before she rubbed them over her clit. He could see how wet and shiny her fingers were, and he barely felt himself take a step closer to the bed. Willow continued to grin at him as she continued with herself, and finally she felt that pleasurable sensation coming back quickly. She closed her eyes tightly and hung her head back as she moved her hand back and forth over herself quicker with more pressure, and she moaned gently as she came. Joker's jaw had dropped slightly, and he didn't bother to close his mouth

as Willow brought her head back up to look at him. Joker continued to stare at her with his dark eyes as she scooted off the bed, her body still trembling. She expected him to just leave as she reached down to pick up her pants, but suddenly he had grabbed her jaw, and he turned her head up, forcing her to look at him.

He licked his lip before he bit it, all in one move, his eyes locked on hers. "Don't _ever_ do that in front of me again," he warned. He took a deep breath in, and Willow's eyebrows slightly met in the middle with pure confusion. "Next time you feel like you need to _get off_, you come to _me_, got it?"

With slightly wide eyes, Willow nodded, and Joker finally let go of her jaw.

"Good," he said, and he grinned slightly as he leaned in, licking off the remains of blood from her lip slowly. The room spun and just as she started to grin Joker turned his head back to the door when he heard Joey calling up to him.

"_Jack?_"

"Yes!" Joker called in a very clowny voice.

"_Dan's leaving_," Joey called up. "_He wants you guys to come say... bye or whatever_." Joey's voice went from excited to annoyed.

"You sure about that?" Joker called back loudly, causing a still trembling Willow to jump slightly.

"_The soon your get down here the sooner he'll leave, Jack!"_

"Well then" Joker said as he raised his eyebrows with a grin, and Willow's lips parted nervously. "You heard the man."

"Wait," she said desperately as she nearly fell forward going after Joker. "You can't!"

"Oh, I _can_," Joker said with a wide grin. Willow's jaw fell as Joker opened the door.

"You uh... sure you want us to come down, Joey?"

Willow swallowed nervously as she quickly pulled up her pants and she stopped by the door behind Joker.

"Yes Jack, hurry up!" Joey called back from the dining area. With a content sigh Joker started down the stairs, Willow nervously following behind him. As they walked towards them they saw Joey's back was to them as he conversed with Dan who stood on front of Joey, holding his briefcase and a suitcase. Dan nodded at something Joey had said as he rolled his eyes, but his jaw dropped to the floor and his eyes widened once he noticed Joker approaching. Joey met his eyebrows in the middle, confused, and he slowly turned around, only for his own eyes to widen with anger. He opened his mouth to talk but Joker beat him to it.

"Well Dan," he said. "It was _lovely_ meeting you." He held out his hand to Dan to shake, who continued to nervously stare at him.

"Yeah..." he said slowly as he shook it. "W-what's with the face paint?"

"Oh you know," Joker said as he tossed his hand at him. "Halloween's coming up. Gotta get in the spirit."

"Halloween was nearly a month ago," Dan said as he continued to stare at him with wide eyes. "It's almost Christmas..."

"Christmas, Halloween... it's all the same, Danny. You have a _very safe_ flight." Joker grinned widely at him, exposing his teeth and he stepped to the side to let Dan pass. Willow smiled nervously at him as he walked passed, and he noticed red and white paint all over her lips. His heart raced as he walked passed her, and without a word he was quickly out the door.

The house fell deathly silent once the door slammed shut. Willow nervously glanced at Joey, who was staring disbelievingly at Joker.

"You said you wanted me to come downstairs," Joker said in his defense as he lifted his hands, showing Joey his palms.

"Are you fucking _kidding me_, Jack?" Joey practically yelled. "That couldn't not have happened a worse time. Not only do I have to sit here with him while you two _fuck_ upstairs, _loudly_, but then you come down like this. You _are_ purely insane, dumbfuck."

Joker continued to grin at him, trying desperately not to laugh. Willow's heart raced, and she had a hard time telling if Joey was actually mad or not.

"_Halloween_? Do you _really_ not know what month it is?"

"Of _course_ I do, Joey," Joker said, unable to fade his smile away.

"I'm never going to hear the end of this one," Joey said as he started to the kitchen, ignoring Willow completely.

"It's fine Joseph," Joker said. "All he thinks is that this house just a purely... _chaotic_ place!"

"You have no idea how right you are," Joey said as he got himself a glass of water, and he chugged it the instant he got it before he went to refill it. "He thinks I'm cool with Willow cheating on me with you, and now he thinks you two are into some purely kinky shit. You are _so_ fucking lucky he's _clueless_ Jack!"

"No, _he's_ lucky," Joker said. "I don't mean to offend, or actually, I _do_, but I hate your brother, and I would _enjoy_ killing him. Slowly," Joker added with a short nod. Joey rolled his eyes.

"He told you about that?" Willow asked. Joey looked to Willow, eying the paint on her lips and chin before he looked back up to her eyes.

"Yeah," Joey said as he started over to the counter. "He says he caught you going into his room."

"Well I also caught him going somewhere," she said. "He was literally just going out the door." Joey nodded, unfazed by this news. Willow noticed this. "He made the agreement that he wouldn't tell on me if I didn't tell on him."

"A chaotic house of _kindergartners_," Joker confirmed as he rolled his eyes, and he started to the stairs.

"It's probably nothing, Willow," Joey said. "He just said that so he could tell me later."

"He always appeared really... messed up in the mornings though," Willow said. "What if he's addicted to something?"

"Come on, Nancy Drew," Joker called from the stairs. "It's time for _beddy-bye_!" Willow ignored him with a roll of her eyes as she continued look at Joey.

"Let's hope he is," Joey said as he started passed her. "Or hope it at least kills him..." he mumbled. He moved passed Joker and started up the stairs. Willow sighed as she finally started over as well, Joker grinning at her all the while as he waited.

super fast update! show your gratitude with some reviews! (and a friendly reminder to go check out my new website on my profile! You know you wanna... :D) thanks for following this story all!


	11. Though Normality Still Exists

"Baseball?" Willow asked as she stared dumbfound up at Joker. "Are you serious?"

Joker slid off his last glove and placed them on the kitchen table in front of Willow. Joey chugged down the rest of his drink as he glanced over to a grinning Joker, his hair freshly dyed in his normal toxic green color.

"I am serious," Joker said with a grin. Willow frowned as she slumped her shoulders.

"Do I have to go?"

To this Joker laughed at her. "Yes, you do."

Willow rolled her eyes as she crossed she arms, absentmindedly sticking out her bottom lip as she stared at the corner of the table. Joker frowned at her, and he slowly made his way to stand behind her. Willow let out a gasp a second later when he grabbed her jaw, and he pulled her head back, forcing her to look up at him.

"Get that pout off your face," he said as he titled his head. "Or I'll do it for you. You're going," he then growled. Willow swallowed once he released her jaw and she looked back over to him.

"It's almost dark though," Willow continued on. "And won't people... see you?"

"There's an abandoned park up the road that literally _no one_ goes to," Joey said as he rounded the counter, and he grinned when Willow rolled her eyes.

"How convenient," she mumbled.

"Willow, _dear," _Joker said. "Why don't you go get ready?" Joker suggested. He started to remove his coat, only to pause and turn back to Willow, pointing a finger at her. "See, I'm not going to let your bad attitude _ruin_ my night. You're going to play with us, so _go. Get. Ready_."

Without another word Willow quickly stood up, and she stomped over to the stairs. Joey let out a laugh as he shook his head.

A few short minutes later, after Willow had grabbed Joker's cigarettes and descended down the stairs, she found Joker waiting at the door, clad in his purple pants and blue shirt, minus the vest, his shirt sleeves pushed up. He held onto a large sports bag, and she noticed instantly how him and Joey frowned at her once she reached the landing.

"Girl, are you serious?" Joey asked with wide eyes. They both looked down to her feet. "_Flip flops_?"

Willow frowned at them, annoyed. "I don't have any shoes," she said. Joey sighed as he started towards the door.

"Maybe it's better if we _do_ just leave her here, man," Joey mumbled.

"No," Joker said. "We're _all_ going." He stepped over to her, and he threw an arm around her shoulders as he pulled her closer. "And all six of us are going to have a _blast_," he added stupidly in that clowny voice.

"Six?" Willow asked. Joker slid his arm off of her shoulders and followed Joey out the door. The sun was just barely gone, leaving the skies a dark blue color, the air surprisingly warm. The street lights had already started to come on, and Joey wasted no time with starting down the sidewalk before he turned to head down a path right next to the fence that surrounded his house. "Who else is going?" Willow pushed on as she followed Joker onto the path.

"Well there's me, and _you_, and _Joey_," Joker rambled on. "_Loc_, Rocco, and Henshaw!"

"You've got to be kidding me," Willow said, stopping suddenly. Joker, however, continued to walk, leaving Willow to huff behind him and continue on. She reached into her pocket, drawing out the pack of cigarettes, and she was quick to light one up. Joker turned around upon hearing her flick the lighter, and he raised an eyebrow with a grin.

"You know, smoking like that is bad for your health."

"I don't care," Willow snapped as she took a long, big drag. She blew out the smoke an instant later, and Joker walked at a faster pace once Willow had caught up.

The short walk to the park was quiet, leaving Willow able to smoke her cigarette to calm her nerves in comfortable silence. The park was in the center of a ton of thick and tall trees, hiding the park from the houses that were on the hill in the distance below. As Willow followed Joker and Joey to the baseball field, and grew more and more uneasy.

"What if someone comes up here?" She asked as she glanced over to Joker, whose face was still painted up.

"They won't," Joey assured.

"And if they do..." Joker started. "We'll kill 'em."

Willow frowned as she continued to follow them, and her frown deepened when she noticed the white SUV parked on a dirt road just passed the field. Rocco and Henshaw stood outside of it, talking, while Loc leaned against the hood, smoking a cigarette. Willow scowled at him before she quickened her pace to stay close to Joker and Joey.

"Just ignore him," Joker said once they had stopped at one of the benches. "I _mean_ it Willow."

"Why does he have to be here in the first place?" Willow asked as she crossed her arms and she glanced over to him. Joker sighed, getting more and more frustrated with her the longer they were there.

"Look," Joker said. "I'm described as the furthest thing from 'normal', but I _do_ enjoy playing baseball just as much as the next _normal _guy. So quit your _high school girl in gym class_ act, and get out of your bad mood," he growled. Willow had looked back to him once he spoke, and now she couldn't' help but smirk slightly. It was at the tip of her tongue to ask him if he'd 'punish' her the way he had just the previous night, but she decided it probably wasn't the best thing to say to him right now. She valued her life, as twisted as it was now, and she wasn't about to lose her life over sarcasm.

Finally Willow nodded, and Joker instantly turned away from her, and he patted Joey on the back as he walked passed him, who was leaned over slightly as he went through the bag on the bench.

"Well _hello_," Joker said cheerfully as he leaned forward onto his toes before he rocked backward. Joey continued to go through the bag, looking for his mitt.

"So what's the deal boss?" Loc asked. "We really here to play _baseball_, or was that just the cover?"

"No, no Loc," Joker said, his eyes wide. "We're _really_ here to play baseball. You'll be playing outfield."

Loc frowned as he watched the clown turn his back, and he raised an eyebrow as he watched him happily start to go through the bag with Joey.

"You didn't tell them where I lived, did you?" Joey asked quietly as he glanced over to Joker.

"Nah," Joker said as he shook his head. Joey's eyebrows met in the middle. Surely he had expected some smart ass joke from his buddy, but it was apparent Joker wasn't in too much of an asshole mood. Joey grinned now, happy to see _some_ hint of normality existed in his friend of almost five years.

"Willow!" Joker called suddenly, and she snapped out of her daze and looked over at him, just in enough time to get smacked in the chest with a black catchers mitt.

"Ow!" She yelled. She placed her hand on her chest as she bent down to pick it up. All five men rolled their eyes at her. She frowned as she turned the mitt over in her hand.

"_Please_ tell me you know how to put that on," Joker said with a large frown, and he slumped his shoulders. "_And_ use it."

"_No_," Willow said as she stuck her hand inside. "Please, teach me." She froze suddenly, finally aware of the sarcastic tone she had taken with him, and she held her breath as she looked over to him. Joker merely grinned and shook his head as he picked up a bat.

"Willow, Loc, you're in the outfield," Joker called out as he swung the bat around, all business now, and he headed around the large fence to stand at home. "Roc, Henshaw, you got infield. _Spred out_!" Joker called louder, causing Willow to jump slightly before she finally started around the fence, wondering what in the hell 'outfield' even meant. Unfortunately, all she had to do was follow where Loc was going. As she followed a good few feet behind him, she wondered why Joker always seemed to pair her with him. He knew she hated him, and he knew Loc liked to mess with her despite what he had told him, so why didn't he keep them separated?

"You're too close," Loc muttered once he stopped walking. Willow looked over to him, confused. "Stand over there!" He yelled as he pointed away from him. Willow's face looked as though she had just been slapped, and she angrily stomped away from him. "Back up!" Loc now called. She sighed as she threw her hands in the hair and she looked over to him, feeling more and more embarrassed and angry by the second. She remained staring at Loc as she backed up. Finally he nodded and she stood where she was, and she looked over to Joker and Joey, who seemed so far away.

"Pitch it, baby!" Joker called stupidly as he held up the bat, and Willow couldn't help but smile. Surely this was a side she had _never_ seen of Joker, and a side she figured she never would. He didn't look right, clad in his purple pants, blue shirt, bright green hair and evil, painted clown face as he got ready to hit the ball that was to be pitched to him. She continued to watch as Joey turned his body back before he threw the ball forward. The crack of the bat hitting the ball echoed throughout the field, that is, until Willow let out a loud scream as she ran away from the ball that was _sure_ to hit her. The ball landed on the ground a good few feet away from where she had been standing, and when she turned back to everyone, she noticed they were all slouched, watching her with disappointed stares.

"_Go get the ball_!" Loc yelled at her, his eyes wide. Willow gritted her teeth as she started over to the ball, her flip flops barely allowing her to run. She finally reached the ball and she picked it up, and once she turned around she noticed Loc had his hand up and his glove opened, indicating she should throw it to him. With all she had she threw the ball, and she gasped when it went the whole distance, and Loc caught it easily. He brought the ball down and stared at Willow, an eyebrow arched.

"Hey!" He called as he threw the ball to Joey. "Home girl can throw!"

"Who would have known?" Joker mumbled as he held up the bat again. Willow smiled contentedly, though she hoped he wouldn't hit the ball in her direction again.

"You really wearing flip flops?" Loc asked her. She turned to him.

"Yes," she said sourly before she looked back over in Joker's direction. Loc remained staring at her, eying her slender legs, her short denim shorts and white tank top.

"Funny," Loc said as he looked away. "You think you would have learned by now..."

Willow's lips parted as she looked over to him. What did that mean?

Joker hit the ball again, and Willow watched as Loc ran backwards before he caught the ball easily. She frowned. Was every guy good at baseball?

After receiving three more hits, Joker finally retired from home and everyone switched spots. Joey went to bat, Loc to pitch, Rocco and Henshaw went, slowly, to the outfield leaving Joker and Willow in the infield. Joker smirked over to her before Joey hit the ball. Willow looked up and followed as the ball soared over her. Her eyes widened when she saw Rocco and Henshaw actually _running_ in the ball's direction to catch it, in which Henshaw swiftly threw it back. Willow sighed as she turned to face forward. She watched as Joey swung his arm around a few times before he went to crack his neck. He stood in the batting position, only to lower the bat slightly. Willow's eyebrows met in the middle as she watched him. It looked as though he was staring at her. Loc finally turned around, a sly grin on his lips once he looked to her. She was just about to turn around when suddenly she felt a force tug hard on her shorts, and suddenly they were on the ground, Joker's loud laughter erupting from behind her as he skipped away.

"_Joker_!" She yelled loudly as she quickly went to pull them up. Everyone was laughing now, and she felt her face go pure red. She was ready to _kill_ him. Joker continued to laugh loudly, now doubled over, and he pointed at her with a stiff finger. Willow frowned at him, and finally she took her glove off and threw it to the ground, and she started to storm over to the bench.

"Ay! Where are you going?" Joker called between his fits of giggles. She saw Loc was smirking at her while Joey, Rocco and Henshaw full-on laughed, and suddenly she felt Joker tug on her wrist.

"_Don't_!" She yelled. "I'm going home!"

"No, you're not," Joker said in an evil voice, though fits of laughter still escaped him.

"At least you don't wear granny-panties, Willow!" Joey called back. "Be proud your a stripper!" Willow frowned over at him as she tried to walk away, but Joker pulled her back, _still_ laughing.

"It's not funny!" Willow yelled, about ready to cry. "Let.. me... _go_!" She continued to struggle against Joker's laughing frame.

"Fine," Joker said as he finally let her go. Willow instantly stormed over to the fence, catching herself from falling on her face as she did. "Go sit on the bench, you big baby," he said. Willow continued towards the fence, and she started around it. "I mean it Willow," Joker warned now as he pointed to the bench, a wide smile on his already smiling clown face. "_Bench_."

With an audible huff Willow parked herself on the middle of the bench. She looked over to home plate, noticing Joey was turned and still smiling at her. She rolled her eyes as she looked back to Joker, and she watched as he made his way over to her glove. He picked it up and threw it over to the fence. Willow didn't move this time as it landed behind her. She rested her right knee over her left and crossed her arms with a slouch, a large frown on her face. Why had he done that? It wasn't even funny. Couldn't he see she was already upset enough at it was? But on second though, she knew he probably didn't even care about how she felt, ever. She felt her stomach clench immediately after thinking that thought...

Willow remained on the bench for a good hour, silently watching as Joker and his 'crew' finished their baseball game. It was pretty neat seeing him act so normal and _happy_, but though she had cooled off a lot, she couldn't help but still be slightly angry. Before she knew it they were headed back over to her. Loc lit up another cigarette as Joey and Joker rounded the fence. Joey started to put the baseball items away while Joker immediately walked over to Willow.

"How's _wittle-Willow _do-_iiiing_?" He asked in that stupid baby-talk voice, and he smiled as he leaned down to her level. She glared at him; he was at the perfect height to be slapped. But she held herself back and instead looked away from him.

"Are we leaving?" she asked sourly.

"No," Joker said. "We figured the _baby_ of the group would like to go play on the playground first!"

"Fuck you," Willow said as she turned around on the bench and she stood up, Joker laughing all the while. He reached over and placed a hand on her shoulder and he brought her closer to him. Willow kept her teeth clenched as she started over to the playground next to Joker. She glanced over at Loc, who was _still_ smirking at her, and she rolled her eyes.

Rocco and Henshaw stood next to the slide while Loc leaned against the jungle-gym, finishing his cigarette. Willow remained walking with Joker and Joey towards the swings. It was dark now, and the moon shone brightly over them, casting large, eerie shadows all around. A slight breeze blew passed them as she followed Joey's actions and she sat down on the swing next to him. Joker stood behind her and gripped the chains as he put all his weight on his arms, leaning on it with his legs stretched behind him.

"So, Joey," Joker started. "I'm gonna need that empty room in the basement."

"Why?" Joey asked as he looked over to him.

"Venom," Joker answered simply. "The guestroom doesn't seem like the... _appropriate_ place."

"My whole house isn't an appropriate place," he mumbled back with a sigh, only to grin a second later. Willow remained quiet as she stared at the dirt below her feet. "So how'd you ever pass gym in high school, Willow?" Joey asked with a grin as he looked over to her.

"I don't know," Willow mumbled. "I never went."

"A _pothead_ _and_ a skipper?" Joker gasped jokingly. "Don't we have quite the delinquent."

Willow rolled her eyes but she couldn't help the small smile that appeared on her bratty face.

"Well, I've witnessed first hand what an _incredible_ toker you are, Ms. Panic Attack..." Joker paused to grin over at Joey, who grinned right back at him. "But I'm _sure_ you made skipping an art-form."

Willow was ignoring him now as she moved some of the dirt back with the tip of her sandal.

"What's with the tattoo?" Joey asked now as he looked back over to her. Willow shrugged.

"Seemed like a good idea at the time," she said her usual answer.

"I offered to get rid of it," Joker said, and Willow jumped suddenly as Joker grabbed her hips, and he started to move backwards, pulling her with him. "But I don't think she'd uh... _appreciate_ my way of doing so..."

Willow clutched the chains and a wide, goofy smile came to play on her lips as she soared forward, the wind cool in her face. She swung back, and she giggled when she felt Joker push her again, his hands heavy on her lower back.

"Man, you can't just _cut off_ a tattoo," Joey pointed out.

"Why?" Joker asked, looking over to Joey as he pushed Willow forward again.

"_Because_," Joey hissed, at a loss for words. "Are you _crazy_?"

"Well _obviously_, Joseph," Joker said flatly as he continued to push Willow, who had decided she was high enough now and didn't need to be pushed any higher. She could just picture herself looping right over the top bar, and the thought caused her to tense up a little. Once she expressed her concern, Joker only laughed at her, and once she came back towards him, he quickly plucked off one of her shoes.

"Hey!" She yelled. "Don't!" She let her other foot slide on the ground, an attempt to stop herself, but Joker was quick to pluck that shoe off as well. "Joker!" She screamed.

"_Yeees_!" Joker sing-songed at her with a big grin and he stepped over to the other side of Joey, who was chuckling to himself now. Willow growled and huffed, deciding she'd just let herself swing until she came to a stop herself. She was busy admiring the thick forest that lay just ahead when she suddenly noticed Joker and Joey walking away from the playground.

"Hey!" She called to them. "Wait!"

Joker and Joey laughed to themselves as they continued on, leaving Loc to roll his eyes as he tossed his cigarette away, and him, Rocco and Henshaw started to follow.

"Help me!" She whined after Joker, and he dramatically flinched as he turned to Joey.

"When did she get so _verbal_?" He wondered to himself as they stopped walking.

"I don't know, man," Joey said with a grin. "Remember how shy she used to be?"

"Yeah," Joker said in a dreamy tone. "But then _your_ club made her get confident. _You've_ created a_ monster_!"

"Yeah, right," Joey said as he rolled his eyes. "_I _created the monster. You're a fucking lunatic!"

"Thank you!" Joker called as he started back over to the swing to a pouting Willow. He remained chuckling to himself as he walked behind Willow, and he reached out quickly, putting his hands on her hips and Willow yelled softly as he halted her to an immediate stop. She remained sitting on the swing, waiting for him to give her her shoes back, but he appeared in front of her a second later, starting off towards the rest of the group that was waiting.

"Joker," she growled. She finally stood up, cringing at the dirt underneath her feet and she skipped over to him in a very girlish way. Joker dropped her shoes behind him and she slipped them on, scowling as Joker walked away with Joey, Rocco, and Henshaw. Loc, however, had stayed behind, full on grinning at her as she started to walk.

"You know, it's a shame," he said as he walked next to her.

"Leave me alone," Willow spat, not even bothering to look at him. Loc laughed, feeling as though nothing could ruin his mood suddenly. Seeing Willow in any type of agony always always pleasurable to him.

"Well, it is," he went on smoothly.

"_What?_" Willow growled at him, looked over to him with only her eyes. Loc suddenly reached out and pushed her in what seemed like a playful manner, and Willow stumbled before she fell down, the rest of the group walking on. With wide eyes she looked up to his grinning frame as he hovered over her.

"I've seen this before," he claimed smartly before Willow could speak. "I didn't think you'd be walking _this_ _quickly_ though. Oh well. Guess my _aim_ was a little off," he sighed as he leaned away from her. "Better luck next time..."

Suddenly if felt as though everything around her was spinning, and she felt as though she was going to be sick. Her ears rang, and behind the ringing she could hear Loc's voice lingering, taunting her with what he had said, and she immediately thought back to the night she had been caught...

"You did it," she finally mumbled hoarsely to herself, swearing that she felt her ankle start to burn like it had that night it had been cut. Her hands shook as she struggled to stand up. "You fucking did it!" She yelled suddenly. Loc's stomach dropped as he slowed his pace, and just as he started to turn around Willow ran into him, her fists swinging as she tried her hardest to hit him. He quickly grabbed her wrists, struggling with her. Tears streamed down her reddened face, and with a harsh shove she fell to the ground. Joker and Joey immediately re-traced their steps, and within an instant Joker had thrown Loc to the ground while Joey went to Willow. He stood behind her and gently pulled her up.

"What's going on?" Joker growled angrily as he looked from Loc, who had started to stand up, then to Willow. His eyebrows met in the middle when he saw that she was crying, and _hard_.

"He did it," she forced herself to say as she tried to get away from Joey, but he tightened his grip on her upper arms and held her in place. "He's the one that made me fall!"

Joker made a confused face as he turned back to Loc. He widened his eyes and shrugged as he stood at his full height now, trying to pull off he didn't know what she was talking about. His heart raced a million beats per second, however. This was _not_ supposed to happen...

"Willow," Joker said as he stood in front of her now, and he placed his hands on her shoulders, only for her jerk away and struggle more against Joey. "Willow!" Joker called again as he tried to hold her still as well. "What are you talking about?"

"He caused me to go to Arkham!" She yelled between sobs. "He's... why..." her face reddened and she looked down as she continued to cry. Joker remained staring at her, and Joey raised an eyebrow as he looked to Joker. Joker immediately thought back that horrid night, and in his vision he could see Willow on the ground, screaming. As he remembered further, however, he recalled the pool of blood under her that he knew didn't just randomly appear.

His whole happy demeanor changed as he took a deep breath in though his nose and he instantly he turned around, his knife already flicked out as he started towards Loc. He nervously started to back up, but Joker was quick to grab his neck and pull him closer.

"What is she talking about?" He asked in a deep, angry voice. Loc nervously glanced down at the knife that gleamed in the moonlight before he looked back to his demon of a boss.

"I-I don't know-" he started.

"He's lying!" Willow screamed. She struggled against Joey again. "_Let me go!"_

"_Dustin_," Joker growled Loc's first name. "_What_ is she _talking about!_" His sudden booming voice caused Loc to flinch, and breathing became harder as Joker squeezed on his neck.

"She's-" he started, and Joker loosened his grip a little so he could at least talk, though he still struggled immensely. "She's blaming me for something I didn't-"

"_Kill him_!" Willow screamed behind Joker. She angrily continued to struggle, seeing nothing but that night and all the things Loc did to hurt her in her mind. She wasn't sure why Joker hadn't already killed him, but now, like an idiot he had _admitted_ he was the cause of her fall. He was the cause of all her suffering in Arkham...

_"Kill him!_" Willow screamed even louder, wanting to just go beat on him until his last breath. Joey nervously looked up to Joker, unsure of what to do. Rocco and Henshaw held their ground, holding their breaths while Joker looked over to Willow. Her hair was thrown in her face, her face was red and her make up had streamed down her cheeks due to her tears. He had seen her like that before, and it pained him slightly. He growled, not knowing himself what to do. He looked back to a nervous-looking Loc.

"Tell me," Joker said. "Did you have _anything_ do to with it?"

Loc swallowed as he started to shake his head, and he gasped when Joker squeezed his neck tighter and he held his knife up to him, his face going purple quickly.

"Did you?" Joker asked again, really losing his patience once and for all. Loc continued to gasp for air as he tried to speak.

"Please," Willow begged, her voice quiet behind her sobs as she let Joey be her complete support to stay standing. Joker heard her pained voice behind him, and he remained staring into Loc's frightened eyes as he thought. It made sense, didn't it? All the times Loc had bothered her before, surely he'd pull of something drastic to get rid of her He _hated _her. And where else would that blood have come from? Thinking back, Loc had disappeared once they had started to run...

Joker's eyes wandered all over the barely healed scratches and cuts on his face, and he remained staring at the burn on his cheek. Loc's breathing got slower and slower the longer his kept his grip on his neck, Joker's muscles tensed up to the point of them being as hard as a rock. Willow remained crying in the back, and she finally raised her head. She took in the sight of Joker standing in front of a purple-faced Loc, his eyes closed tightly, Joker's arm bent at the elbow as he held him in place.

"Do it," Willow finally sniffled. "_Do it!_"

"Jack..." Joey started as he loosened his grip on Willow a little. She immediately tried to run away, but Joey was quick to tighten his grip again. This was not how the night was supposed to go. What had happened?

Finally, with a deep breath, the choice on what to do seemed obvious. All within a swift move that seemed to take just a few seconds, Joker turned Loc around, his back to him, and he clutched each side of his head before he twisted Loc's it quickly and effortlessly. With a loud _-snap!- _Loc's limp and lifeless body fell to the ground heavily. Joey had let go of Willow and she instantly ran towards to Loc, and she screamed as she kicked him in the rips, bringing her foot down as hard as she could, his body lose as it moved due to her kicks from the bottom of her shoe. Joker had put his knife back in his pocket and he stood behind her as he pulled her away from him, and he turned her around. She continued to cry and Joker frowned as he looked at her.

"Willow," he started. "Willow! He's dead!"

She continued to cry, struggling to get away from him until her body completely relaxed. She felt as though she had no more energy and she allowed herself to lean against Joker as she continued to cry, feeling as though she couldn't breath herself. Joker looked over to Joey as he gently placed his hands on her hips, her face buried into his shoulders. Joey was staring at him, a large frown on his face. Joker glanced over to a somewhat frightened looking Rocco and Henshaw and he quickly cleared his throat as he looked away. He gripped her waist and hoisted her up and over his shoulder, and he started back towards the baseball field.

"Go home," he growled rudely to Rocco and Henshaw.

"But boss, what about Lo-"

"Go _home_," Joker growled again. Without another word Rocco and Henshaw quickly started over towards the SUV. Joey glanced over to the the lifeless body that lay a good ten feet from the swing set. He felt uneasy about leaving the body there like that, but he decided right now probably wasn't the best time to confront Joker about it. He turned to follow his friend as he swung the sports bag around his shoulder. Joker walked ahead of him, Willow continuing to sob as she hung loosely from his shoulder, Joker's arm around her lower back, his free hand clenched into a fist. Had the intentions been different, Willow's position would have been funny, but Joey knew better than to laugh. He still found it hard to believe that Loc had been the cause of Willow's fall, but he found it even harder to believe the finger hadn't been pointed at him before...

Willow was still quietly sobbing once they got back to the house. Joker had carried her the entire way home over his shoulder while Joey had remained silent, keeping a safe distance behind him. He knew the simplest thing could probably set Joker off; he saw how quickly he had turned away from Rocco and Henshaw when Willow had started crying on him, and how quickly he went back to barking orders. He knew it wasn't like his friend to _care_ for _anyone_ or be that shoulder to cry on, literally or not. Because of this he wondered why, exactly, he wasn't telling Willow to suck it up and get over it. He knew better than to bring it up, however, at least right now.

Joey quickly unlocked the front door, and he walked in first, heading straight to the counter for a drink. Joker had gently set Willow down in the entryway and he turned to close and lock the door. He turned back around and immediately looked to Willow. Her head was down, her hair wet in the front due to her tears, her whole body loose and slumped. With a frown he placed his finger on the bottom of her chin and forced her to look up. When he moved some of her hair out of her face he saw all her make-up had smeared down, and thin, black trails traveled down her cheeks. Her eyelashes stuck together in clumps, and her eyes were slightly blood shot and puffy as she looked at him.

"C'mon," Joker said as he turned her around towards the stairs. "Let's go shower."

Joey heard her still crying as she slowly climbed the stairs, Joker right behind her, and he sighed as he uncapped the lid off his rum. He poured it into the glass he had prepared, and after re-capping the bottle he immediately took a large, calming sip.

Once in the bathroom, Joker flipped on the light and closed the door, leaving Willow to stand in the middle of the bathroom. She felt exhausted, and all she wanted to do was crawl into bed and sleep off what could possibly be the second worst night of her life. But on the other hand, a shower did sound nice and much needed. Her feet were dirty, and her face and hair felt disgusting. She took in a deep, quivering breath, her way of trying to stop crying, while Joker took it as a cue to finally speak up.

"Willow," he said in that clowny voice, his tone flat as he placed his hands on her shoulders. "Why are you still crying?"

Willow opened her mouth to talk, but instead most tears came and she looked down. She took a deep breath and talked down to the floor.

"Because," she said, her voice quivering. "H-he... is why I... w-went to... Ark-"

"No, Willow. He's not," Joker interrupted. "Here, look at me..." he tilted her chin up again, and she looked at him behind teary eyes and wet, tangled hair. "He's not why you went to Arkham. _I _am, Willow," he admitted easily. What ever happened to never bringing this up again?

Her faced reddened and she looked down again as more tears splashed the floor, memories of the emotions she felt when he turned his back entering her mind. Joker sighed loudly as he gently gripped her neck, his thumbs on either side of her jaw. He didn't want to talk about this again, but he _had_ to get her to stop crying. For some reason it was making him feel funny...

"Willow," he said in a slight growl, getting frustrated. "He's _dead, _Willow. You don't have to deal with him anymore. He's _not _the reason why you went to Arkham. _I_ am," he repeated. "He might have caused you to fall, but I'm who _left_ you."

It seemed he was stressing the wrong words, and Willow tried to look down as even more tears fell. Joker full on growled now and he forced her head back up again, pushing on her jaw with his thumbs, and her eyes snapped opened, and they grew wide as she looked at his _slightly_ angered face.

"Willow, you _have_ to stop crying. Why are you still crying?"

Willow took in as deep as a breath as she could, focusing on the fact that Joker was actually trying to... _help_ her? Surely he wasn't... this was all a dream. And if it was a dream, then she could do or say anything and _not_ get hurt, right?

"I just hate thinking about that night-"

"Then _don't_!" Joker said loudly, and she flinched. "It doesn't _matter_ anymore! Look, think of it this way. It only made you stronger. You over-came it, and now you're _here _with... _me_."

Joker paused as he looked away, suddenly feeling tongue tied. His stomach dropped and he found it hard to take in a breath. He wasn't sure what he had been trying to say; suddenly he felt as though he wasn't thinking before he spoke, and he knew Willow probably just took that the wrong way...

Willow swallowed as she remained looking at him. He had slightly turned his head, showing that defined, masculine jaw-line, the white paint ending just on it. Her eyes rose back up to his. She licked her lips, and without warning she suddenly forced herself forward and caught his lips with hers, and her eyes slid shut. Joker was slightly shocked at first, but his body quickly relaxed and he tightened his grip with his hands, running his thumbs back and forth on her jaw. Willow's shaking hands snaked their way around his back, and she locked them behind him, keeping herself as close as she could to him.

She licked the top of Joker's lip, hungrily waiting for him to let her in, unsure where this extreme want had come from. Joker opened his mouth, only to quickly bite Willow's bottom lip immediately after. Her whelp echoed throughout the bathroom and she pulled away from him, a sad and confused look on her face. Joker smirked at her as his eyes traveled down to her shirt. He ran his hands over her shoulders and down her sides until he came to the bottom of her shirt, and he pulled it up. She raised her arms, allowing him to pull the shirt off easier and he tossed it to the ground. Her heart excitedly skipped a beat when he leaned back down for a kiss, his lips already parted in a small grin. Willow leaned up to meet him as she closed her eyes, but she froze and grew confused when she never felt his lips touch hers. Her eyes snapped open, and she saw Joker grinning down at her.

"Take a shower," he commanded with a satisfied smirk. "Then come to bed."

Willow's jaw dropped as she watched him head to the door. _You've got to be fucking kidding me!_ The door closed behind him, and with an angry growl she turned and started the shower.

After her incredibly hot shower to burn away those random sexual tendencies she had been feeling and, most importantly, those hurt feelings of knowing what Loc had done to her, she grabbed a towel and wrapped herself up in it, leaving her hair to drip behind her. She stepped onto the rug and wiped away some of the fog on the mirror and looked at her make-up less refection. Her eyes will still a little red and puffy, it was obvious she had been crying, but she knew all she could do was ignore it.

Upon stepping into the hallway, she noticed the guest bedroom door was still slightly opened, and that the light was off. She raised an eyebrow; Joker had already gone to bed? With a sigh she started towards the stairs, deciding she'd get a quick glass of water before she joined him. She was still upset over the way he had teased her; she was _sure_ she had never wanted him so much, and at the weirdest time, as well. But there was just something in the way he had been comforting her that caused her to be that much more confused with her standings with him and how she felt. Why did he care so much?

She turned around in the kitchen and took a large sip from the glass, and she noticed Joey's office lights were on just passed the living room. She finished her drink as she clutched her towel in front of her, and after setting her empty glass in the sink she started over to the office, figuring she'd say goodnight to Joey.

The door was open, and she saw he was sitting at his desk, a large stack of paper piled in front of him. He was writing something on one of the papers before he he set it down next to him, and he picked up the next in the stack to start reading over it.

"Hey," Willow said as she stepped inside. Joey looked up, his eyes flickering over her before he looked back to her eyes.

"Hey," he said. He looked back down and set the paper on the desk before he signed the bottom, and he put it to the side "Is everything... okay?"

"Yeah," Willow said. "Sorry about that..."

"Nah, it's cool," Joey said as he leaned back in his chair, looking back at her. "But what... happened?"

"Apparently _he_ was the reason why I... fell," she started with a sigh. "My ankle had been slashed, and I guess he was the one that did it."

"And he just randomly... _told_ you that?" Joey asked as he rose an eyebrow. Willow nodded.

"He's a fucking idiot."

Joey laughed as he leaned forward. "Yeah, it's crazy Jack killed him though."

"Why?" Willow quickly asked. Fully interested suddenly, she sat down on the small red couch by the door. She moved her hair over her shoulders and stared expectantly at Joey, who was frowning.

"Because... I mean... I don't know," he said. "Never mind."

Willow sighed as she slumped her shoulders. She thought back to what Joker had been telling her in the bathroom.

"Well, it must mean _something_ that he killed him, for me, right?" Willow spoke her thoughts out loud. Joey immediately looked over to her, a slightly worried look on his face.

"...what?" He asked, and Willow sighed. "Look Willow, I don't really-"

"I mean, cause he always told me Loc was one of the best on the team. It has to mean something that he killed him purely for the purpose that he upset _me_, right?"

She sounded hopeful, and her eyes were wide as she waited for Joey to answer, and he knew she was waiting for him to agree. But he continued to just stare at her. He had known Jack for a long time, and he _knew_ the issue here wasn't that he had killed Loc because he upset Willow. Just thinking that made him want to grin, but he fought the urge as best as he could.

"_Maybe_," he said, being half honest.

"It's just..." Willow started, only to immediately pause and look away. "Never mind," she sighed. "You'll think I'm crazy..."

"Babe, I already do," Joey said with a grin as he continued to look at her. "What?"

Willow grinned slightly, only to let out a sigh a second later as she stared at her feet. "Sometimes I feel like I... _feel_ something... towards him..." She lifted her head, and her stomach dropped again when she saw his confused face. His eyebrows were furrowed, his eyes wide, his lips slightly parted.

"_What_?" He asked, unable to wrap his mind around this. "Alright girl, now I _really_ think you're crazy..."

Willow looked down with a small smile.

"Willow..." Joey started a moment later as he searched for the right words to say. "Jack's... not that type..."

"I know," Willow said quickly as she looked back at him with wide eyes. "I know I just... I don't even know why I told you." She rolled her eyes as she started to stand.

"No," Joey said quickly, and Willow stopped just before she was about to stand up. "I guess I get it. Jack can be charming when he wants, and if it wasn't for those fucking scars on his face he'd be an attractive dude." He grinned, hearing in his head the joke that Jack would be making right now. "But, it's useless, girly. I'm sorry."

"I just hate it," Willow said a moment later as she looked back down to the floor. "Just all these signs he throws off. One minute he's... _gentle_ and caring and the next he's fucking choking me..."

"Yeah," Joey said, honestly feeling a _little_ bad for Willow. "He's a hard guy to read. I'm not gonna lie to you, Willow, but it's best if you forget anything you're feeling towards him, ya dig? It's just worthless, and you'll only end up getting hurt even more."

Willow bit her tongue, trying hard to keep anymore tears from falling. She took in a deep breath and looked back up to Joey, forcing a smile. Joey slightly smiled back before he leaned back in his chair with a yawn.

"We'll I'm going to bed," Joey said as he stood up.

"Yeah, me too," Willow said.

"Just accept that Jack's... _insane_, in a way," Joey continued as he rounded his desk. "He's found a way to completely shut off his capability of feeling any human emotion." Willow swallowed. What he was saying made sense, but she wasn't so sure he was right... "He just does what he wants, when he wants. No emotions involved."

"Yeah," Willow said, her voice. "Well night, Joey."

"Night."

Willow instantly started out of his office, and she took a deep breath as she started up the stairs. She wasn't sure _why_ she had admitted that to Joey, but now that she had spoken her problem out loud, she finally realized how big of an issue it was. She wished she didn't feel anything towards him, but what could she do? She wasn't sure anymore why she was still with him. Why would she be if he 'didn't _care_'? She knew some of the things he did had to mean _something_. Like how he _he_ was the one that came looking for her when she got out of Arkham. And how he killed Loc for _her_, and how he always dealt with her moods. It all had to mean _something_. She knew there was some emotion involved in all of those examples, something deeper than just pure boredom..

She gently pushed the door open to the dark guest room. She closed the door quietly behind her and made her way to the bed. She was suddenly way too lazy and tired to even think about getting dressed, so she let her towel drop to the floor. She climbed into bed and laid her head on the pillow, and she closed her eyes with a sleepy yawn, her back to Joker.

Just when she figured Joker was sleeping next to her, she heard him growl slightly as he turned around to face her. Her eyes opened as she listened, and she gasped quietly when she felt him snake an arm around her and pull her towards his bare chest. She froze, and a slight grin crept onto her face when she felt him wander his hand over her thigh, over her hip and onto her chest. He hummed and deeply laughed quietly from his throat as he pulled her closer. Her smile widened and she comfortably closed her eyes again, _knowing_ Joey had obviously been wrong...

Thanks for all the reviews, guys! PLEASE keep them coming! :))


	12. Angered

"A _date_?" Joker made a face as he looked to his best friend from the table. "Like, a real date?"

"Unfortunately," Joey sighed. He smoothed down his black, button-up silk shirt with a slight scowl, still feeling Joker staring at him with that dumbfounded look.

"Well," Joker said as he placed his ankle on his knee. He picked up his drink from the table and he glanced at his friend, who was standing by the breakfast bar counter. "I can sense your... _enthusiasm._"

"Yeah, well..."

From in the living room, Willow turned around and leaned on the back of the couch curiously to eye the two men she lived with. Joey looked _ridiculous_, wearing a silk shirt and _leather_ pants, but what was even more sad was that he just _knew_ he looked good. She couldn't help but grin at this as she peered over the top of the couch.

"So... a _date_," Joker repeated with a nod, his long, acid green hair swaying along with him. "_Why_?"

"Has it ever occurred to you that I deserve to have more of a life than _babysitting_ you two?"

"Joseph, you don't _babysit_ us," Joker said with a wide grin. "We're perfectly able to think for ourselves and know right from wrong. Well, at least _I_ do..." He turned and smirked at Willow, who narrowed her eyes and frowned at him.

"Who are you going to see?" Willow asked. "Same girl?"

"Yeah," Joey said. "She works at the club, you know."

"What?" Willow asked as she sat up now and she placed her hands in her lap. "Since when?"

"Since a few weeks," Joey answered. "If you came to work anymore, you'd know that."

"Slacker," Joker said as he swished the liquid around in his glass, the ice cubes clanking. "I think you should fire her." He looked back up to Joey.

"I agree," Joey said with a straight face.

"It's not my fault," Willow complained. "You haven't been telling me when to go in!"

"You haven't been asking," Joey said back with a smirk, causing Joker to chuckle as he looked back to Willow.

"Well that's because... you usually tell me!"

Joey rolled his eyes as he glanced back at the clock on the stove, the time ten minutes after nine.

"Well, wish me luck. Even though I don't need it," Joey added with a grin, causing Joker to irritably roll his eyes as he stood up.

"Use a condom, Joseph," he said as he pointed a lose finger to him, ducking his head down, and Willow grinned at Joey's annoyed face. "STD's are _bad!_"

"You would know," Joey said as he started towards the door.

"You're right," Joker said. "I would. Have a _wonderful_ night." Without another word the door closed behind Joey, leaving Joker to turn and head into the living room to join Willow. Willow's mouth was dropped as she stared wide-eyed at him. He plopped down on the couch next to her, immediately looking over to her to growl.

"_What_?"

"Do you really have a... STD?"

"I do," Joker said as he nodded calmly and he looked to the TV. Willow felt her skin turn cold, her throat swell and her stomach drop as she continued to look at him.

"W-what do you have?" She asked slowly, though in somewhat of a panic. Joker couldn't hold it in anymore and he grinned as he turned back to her, the shadows cast on his face from the TV causing the black rings around his eyes to appear larger.

"It's a very rare Disease called W.M.F. Very rare," he repeated as he looked back to the TV. Her mouth was still agape as her eyebrows met in the middle, and Joker turned back to her, not wanting to miss her face as she thought that over. He waited a few seconds, his grin growing wide until her eyes widened and her head snapped over to him.

"Hey, those are my..."

"Exactly," Joker said as he raised his eyebrows, nodding at her. "A very rare disease experts call Willow Madalyn Fox."

Willow was scowling at him, not sure if she should be mad at him for calling her a STD or just laugh it off. Joker was strangely in a great mood that night, he had been all week, so she decided to let it go.

"Asshole," she mumbled.

"You know it," Joker said, scowling now at the TV. "So, what are we watching here...?"

"The Twilight Zone," Willow answered simply with a sigh, and she faced forward again as she turned up the volume to the black and white show. Joker scowled at the TV as he came to rest his elbow on the arm rest.

"Why?" He asked in a flat voice. "What happened to animal planet?"

"Because I like it. And I've seen everything there is to see on that channel," Willow added with a mumble as she rolled her eyes. Joker tried to sit in silence as he watched an old-looking man talk about the piano he had just bought his wife for her birthday. After another few moments, Joker rose an eyebrow when their butler started to dance around merrily.

"What_ is_ this?" Joker asked now as he loosely rolled his head on the back of the couch to look at Willow, who was staring intently at the TV screen. She sighed as she looked to Joker.

"The piano is... magical," she explained. "It causes people's biggest secrets to come out when they listen to it."

"Really..." Joker said flatly as he looked back to the TV, the butler now looking miserable again. "Sounds... _logical._"

"It doesn't have to be," Willow said. "It's _the Twilight Zone_."

With a slight growl Joker looked back over to Willow, an eyebrow still cocked. He placed his arm over the top of the couch and turned his body slightly. "Okay, _smartass_. If _you _heard the- the 'almighty magical, _fake_ piano of... _truth_...' what would happen?"

Willow turned to look at him, her own eyebrows raised as she thought about it. "I don't know," she said slowly, her answer suddenly coming to mind. She could just picture herself getting one of those cheesy, wide smiles while she boasted about how much she actually _liked_ Joker and how she enjoyed being under his constant surveillance. She thought about it for a minute before she finally turned back to Joker with a shrug.

"_There's_ a lie," Joker said with a small grin as he looked back to TV.

"Well what would happen to _you_?" Willow demanded as she turned her body in his direction, her eyes wide with curiosity. Joker didn't move, and his face didn't flinch as he continued to stare at the TV.

"Nothing," he answered simply. "It wouldn't work on me."

"Yes it would," Willow said.

"I have nothing to hide," he said with a grin as he looked back to her, exposing those dimples just near his scars. At that moment all Willow wanted to do was dare him to tell her how he got his scars, or what made him kill his best friend. She knew Joker had _plenty_ to hide. Why else didn't he want to tell her those stories? It made no sense to her. But she swallowed her words and instead turned back to the TV, deciding to just accept his answer, as long as it meant for her not to express her own.

–

The first thing Willow heard the next morning was the shower just next door being shut off. She laid with her eyes closed for a few moments, the room much to dark and comfortable and the bed much to warm and snug for her to leave it. She breathed out her nose as she turned onto her side, facing the window. The shower door closed, and upon stretching her legs behind her, bending them at the knees, she clarified that Joker was the one in the bathroom. _Who else would it be_? She wondered to herself.

Finally, she opened her eyes, and once she realized how late in the morning it was, she decided it was probably a good time to get up. She couldn't remember Joker coming to bed after she had gone upstairs the night before; she figured she had already achieved that deep slumber state by then. With a sleepy sigh she got out of bed, wondering what the plans were for today. She knew Joker had already started collecting venom from Rampage, and she wondered vaguely if she was included in the plans of using it. She hoped she was.

With a yawn she started down the stairs, not really caring at the moment that all she wore was a large t-shirt that barely covered the black thong she wore. She was busy wondering if Joey had any orange juice left, if Joker hadn't drank it all, as she rounded the corner, only to come to a sudden halt. Her jaw hung slack as she stared at this random girl in Joey's kitchen. Joey was at the sink, busy rinsing off a plate, while the random blonde girl stood in front of the fridge.

"Joey?" She asked in a high, _annoying_ voice. "Can I finish the orange juice?"

Willow cringed angrily. Who the hell _was_ this chick?

"Of course, baby," Joey said with a grin. The blonde smiled as she placed the juice on the counter, and she reached up to the cabinet to get a glass, wearing nothing but tiny pink shorts and a little purple tank top. Finally Willow realized this was probably the girl that Joey had been seeing lately. Willow leaned against the wall as she continued to secretly peer into the kitchen, watching now as Joey turned off the sink. He immediately turned towards the girl, and he slid his hands over her hips and tugged her back. She let out an annoying, girly laugh as she shrugged her shoulders. Joey chuckled as he ran his hands down her thighs, leaning down so he could kiss her neck. The girl sighed as she tilted her head back, and Willow quickly leaned back once she noticed her start to turn around. Willow would have continued into the kitchen, but suddenly she had the undying urge to go see Joker... He had told her that if she ever had _any _urges that she _had_ to go to him... Without another thought she quickly started towards the stairs.

She quickly entered the guestroom, happy to see Joker was sitting at the foot of the bed, his make-up freshly, but sloppily done, as if he had been in a rush to get it done. He wore his normal attire, minus his coat and gloves. He had just finished pulling up his striped sock when he leaned back up, and he noticed Willow somewhat quickly stepping over to him.

She bit her lip, unsure of what, exactly, had come over her, but she decided to take her chances with doing exactly what she wanted. Joker had just opened his mouth to say something, but she was quick to slide onto his lap, her knees on either side of his legs on the bed. She rested her hands on his chest as she leaned in. Joker responded quickly by tilting his head back slightly as she caught her lips with his. He breathed in through his nose deeply, taking a handful of her hair as he kissed back with what seemed like just as much urgency as Willow. She brought her body off his lap, forcing him to tilt his head back further as she leaned over him now. Joker slid his hands down until they came to rest on her wide hips, and Willow moaned slightly. She had no time to take a second to realize her plan had worked; after seeing Joey and his new 'squeeze' downstairs, all Willow knew was she wanted the same thing.

Joker laughed deeply now as he pulled away, taking in her smeared, over night make-up and the red and white on her chin and lips.

"Good morning," he finally said in that low voice. Willow ignored him and went in for another kiss, only for Joker to laugh again and gently push her away. Her face looked confused and lost, but above all slightly angry. "And to what do I owe the pleasure of... _that, _this morning?"

"I don't know," Willow said, a sly grin creeping onto her face. "I'm just doing what you told me."

After thinking about that for a split second, Joker grinned. "Oh _reeeally_?"

"Mhmm," Willow cooed, still grinning. She went in, slowly, for another kiss, only to squeal suddenly when Joker flipped her over onto her back. He smirked as he hovered over her, and he rested his hand on her hip as he went in to kiss her. Willow hungrily leaned up to meet him half way, and she relaxed, laying her head back down as Joker deepened the kiss.

"Hmm," he suddenly hummed against her lips. "What do we have to play with?" He ran his hand down her thigh and back up over her hip, Willow's eyes closed all the while.

"_What_?" She groaned, her feelings of pleasure and urgency rising. Joker slowly licked his bottom lip as he ran his hand back down her thigh, and he pushed past her underwear to gently stroke her with his thumb. Willow let out a loud moan as she quickly arched her back, Joker barely able to fathom how turned on she was, and most importantly, _why_ so suddenly? He didn't care at the moment, however, and decided to just have some fun teasing her.

His plan seemed to backfire the more he continued to tease her, however. He pressed his thumb to her clit before he slid two fingers inside her easily, Willow moaning out loudly all the while. As Joker continued to kiss her, he felt himself getting more and more into it until suddenly he heard Joey on the bottom of the stairs.

"_Yo, Jack!_"

He stopped kissing her, and Willow felt ready to scream out of frustration when she felt him slide his fingers out. Breathing heavily she opened her eyes and found Joker staring down at her, listening for Joey further.

"_Jack!_"

A sly grin spread onto Joker's lips, and he placed his two wet and sticky fingers into his mouth before he got off the bed. Willow let out a sad whimper as she sat up, leaning back on her hands as she watched Joker go to the slightly ajar door. He took his fingers out of his mouth with a slight popping noise as he leaned over the railing by the stairs.

"_Yes_?" He asked. Willow continued to pout as she now made her way off the bed, her legs feeling loose and shaky as she struggled to stay standing. Her heart was still pounding and she was still breathing heavily. At the moment, she _hated_ Joey.

"What are your... plans for the day?" Joey asked as she looked up to Joker.

"I don't really know yet, _Joseph_. What are _yours_?"

"Jack I'm not in the mood for your games today," Joey said. Joker sighed, and was just about to talk when Joey was quick to interrupt.

"Never mind," he said, suddenly seeming as though he was in a panic. "We'll talk later." He quickly turned to walk out of the entryway and back to the living room. Joker remained standing here, his hands on the railing, wondering what that was all about. Finally he turned around, and he couldn't help but smile when he saw how annoyed and desperate Willow still looked. She glared at him, though he could see a hint of hope in her eyes, knowing she was hoping that he'd continue. But as it turned out, Joker _did_ have things to do, and at the moment Willow was doing nothing but _distracting_ him. He chuckled slightly as he turned around again to head downstairs.

"There's someone down there," Willow said flatly, and Joker stopped suddenly and he turned to look at her. "Some blonde whore," Willow added in an annoyed tone. Joker grinned, thinking he understood now where her mood had come from.

"Thanks for the uh... _heads up_," he said simply, and he started down the stairs. Willow stepped over to the door, and she watched as Joker started down to the basement. She sighed, trying to get over her mood, and she grabbed the pack of cigarettes and black lighter from the table next to Crystal's tank and she started downstairs.

With the living room and part of the kitchen in view now, she saw Joey and the blonde girl sitting at the table. She scowled at the girl the moment her face fell when her eyes came to look at Willow, and she continued past them towards the deck. Joey was looking at her now.

"Where's _Jack_?" He asked.

"Basement," Willow answered, not caring if the girl recognized her not. On further thought, however, Willow remembered Joey had said she had started working at his club.

"What is _she_ doing here?" the girl asked, and Willow rolled her eyes as she unlocked the sliding glass door. "Does she _live_ here?" She pressed on, anger in her voice. She noticed Joey hesitate for a moment before she turned towards the blonde.

"Yes, I do," Willow said with a wide, sarcastic smile. The blonde's jaw dropped as she turned back to Joey, silently demanding an explanation. Willow grinned at Joey before she stepped onto the deck, and she slid the door closed.

"Joey," she went on. "Why is she here?"

"She lives here," Joey answered. "She needed a place to stay."

"Debbie says when Rachel needed a place to stay, you turned her down when she asked."

Joey sighed as he slumped in his seat and he closed his eyes. "That was different, Lydia."

"How?" Lydia went on. "Why is _she_ here? What's her name again? Aspen? Spruce?"

"You _know_ it's Willow, Lydia," Joey answered. "And it's a long story. Don't worry about it."

"You seeing her?" Lydia asked now, and she glared at Joey with her bright blue eyes.

"No," Joey answered truthfully.

"You ever hook up with her?" Her lips thinned when Joey hesitated.

"N-no," he lied. He remained staring at her, unable to help but think back to that night, and finally he leaned up. "Babe don't worry about it," he said. "She's not going to be here much longer."

"Promise?" Lydia asked.

"Yes," Joey breathed. He wasn't sure if that was true or not, and he felt the room spin upon reflecting back on this argument. He wouldn't exactly consider himself _seeing_ Lydia. And if she thought they were under the label as 'dating', he knew he'd have to break it off sooner than he thought.

After her cigarette, Willow stepped back into the house, and she could feel Lydia staring at her.

"Smoking is _disgusting_," she preached instantly.

"Yeah, well." Willow ignored her as she started past her, and Lydia unnecessarily coughed dramatically. Joey rolled his eyes. Lydia had _not_ been acting like this the past few nights...

"It's unhealthy," she went on, and Willow growled slightly. Why couldn't she let it go? "You can't dance and be a smoker."

"I do just fine," Willow said flatly as she started towards the front door.

"Where are you going?" Joey asked.

"Basement," Willow answered simply, and she disappeared around the corner.

Willow took her time stepping, on her toes, only where she could see _clean_, gray concrete beneath the saw dust and wood planks. In the hall in front of her she could see the light on in one of the rooms, and after a good minute of side-stepping everything on the floor to get there, did she notice Joker sitting at an old wooden table in a slightly large, but very crowded room. She quietly stopped at the doorway, waiting to be welcomed into the room, and she watched as Joker looked over a metal rack of test tubes. Next to him sat a small bowl-type object with a lit candle underneath it, wax burning in the bowl, and on the other side of him sat a metal rack, a bullet in each separate square hole.

"Come in," Joker said. "But _don't_ knock the table."

Suddenly stepping into the room seemed like a difficult chore. On her left sat the table, on her right a large vertical pile of boxes. She carefully and slowly stepped into the room, and she now stood at Joker's side, watching as he pushed the rack of test tubes back.

"What's that?" She asked.

"Venom," Joker answered. "And _your_ going to help me. Pull up that chair."

Willow turned around and noticed a black chair sitting behind her, and she carefully dragged it over and sat down. Joker placed the rack of bullets in front of her, and Willow noticed what looked like liquid in the hollow points.

"Is that venom in there?" Willow asked as she pointed down to the bullets. Joker nodded.

"It is," he answered simply. "I need _you_ to seal the tops with that candle wax." Willow's eyebrows met in the middle as he looked to the small bowl object and candle in front of her. Joker sighed. "Fairly quickly, also, would be nice."

Willow continued to stare at him, confused. "Using what?" She asked.

"You're finger," Joker answered, as he stood from the table, and he turned around, placing the test tubes of venom into what appeared to be a small freezer of sorts. Willow quickly turned around, and holding back any further questions she had, she dipped her finger into the hot wax and quickly let it drop over one of the bullets. She pulled her finger back and watched as the wax quickly hardened. Figuring she had done it correctly, she repeated the process.

A few minutes later she heard the front door upstairs open and then close, and walking down the stairs a second later. Joker had just walked back into the room before Joey appeared in the doorway.

"Hey," he said instantly once he leaned against the door frame. "Willow," he added in a harsher voice. She instantly turned up to him, the wax on her finger slowly drying. Joker turned from the freezer, sensing the hostility in his friend's voice, waiting to see what was wrong.

"Next time do me a favor, and keep your mouth _shut_ around my women, ya feel me?"

Willow's mouth fell open, but Joey ignored her look and instead went to turn around, Joker quick to speak up.

"Well jeeze Joseph, _that_ was rude."

"No, what's rude is little miss _thang_ having to make shit complicated for-"

"I wasn't," Willow quickly spoke up, her eyebrows furrowed and her eyes narrowed on Joey. What was his deal? Joker started to chuckle.

"I'm sure what she did wasn't even that bad, Joey-"

"Oh, you're _defending_ her now?" Joey asked as he stepped back into the room, his eyes wide. "Just a month ago your only goal was to make her miserable."

Willow's mouth fell open again and she turned to Joker, who seemed to be at a loss of words suddenly. Come to think of it, Willow realized Joey was right. Why _was_ he defending her? It was completely unlike him. But it seemed as though Joker had just come to the realization himself, and he started out of the room.

"Handle this yourselves then," he mumbled, and he disappeared into the hallway. Joey looked back down to Willow, pointing his finger at her.

"Next time I got a chick over, stay upstairs, or don't say a word, got it?"

_Fuck you_, Willow thought sourly, and without a word she looked away from Joey, dipping her finger into the wax again to finish sealing the bullets. With a growl Joey turned from the door, each footstep on the stairs making Willow angrier and angrier at him. She hadn't done anything wrong. It wasn't like Joey actually _cared_ about that chick. What was the big deal? With a huff, Willow figured all she could do was just ignore the issue.

–

About half an hour later Willow finally ventured upstairs. The house was deathly quiet and she noticed the guestroom door was cracked open while Joey's bedroom was shut. _What a bunch of babies_, Willow thought to herself, and she rolled her eyes as she headed into the kitchen.

Much to her surprise, Joker was in there, eating from a can of black olives. Willow ignored his odd choice for a snack and headed to the fridge to get herself a glass of ice tea.

"I finished with the wax," she said offhandedly. Joker nodded as he continued to stare at the muted TV. Willow turned to him, and she sighed quietly as she took a sip from her glass. Why was everyone acting so stupid today? She remained staring at him, waiting for him to say something, and instead sighed when she realized it was useless. She somewhat angrily started past him, Joker watching as she went, secretly admiring her ass before she started up the stairs. He growled to himself as he popped another black olive into his mouth. What was happening to him? It seemed every time she walked by he couldn't help but always stare. She was the only thing that ever preoccupied his mind anymore. She was so... _distracting_.

Joey had been right. Just months ago he enjoyed terrorizing her, confusing her, _hurting_ her. And now suddenly he was _defending _her? He felt like stabbing himself. How could he have gotten so off track? All the while she was in Arkham he moped around, thinking about her, truthfully wondering to himself why, exactly, he had left her. He acted like a fool trying to convince her to go back with him. He made a face as he swallowed: he actually... _enjoyed_ spending time with her it seemed. He had killed Loc, one of his _best_ henchmen, for _her_, all because _she_ hated him? What was that!

He angrily slammed down the can of olives, some of the juice splashing up and landing on the counter and floor. He growled as he shook his head, Joey just barely startling him as he walked into the kitchen.

"You gonna clean that up?" He asked as he nodded to the can of olives.

"No Joey, I'm not. Don't start with me," Joker snapped back. Joey made a face, but couldn't help but grin.

"What's _wrong_?" He asked as he leaned against the counter, crossing his arms. "Do you want to talk about your _feelings_?"

"Joey, I'll kill you _right now_. Shut. Up."

Joey continued to laugh as he turned around to grab a bowl. Next to him Joker sighed as he stared at the floor, a few minutes later finally speaking up.

"Joey, what's _happening_ to me?" Joker mumbled. Joey turned, a grin still on his face, but it faded into a frown once he realized how seriously bothered his friend looked. "I fucking _defended _her?"

"Yeah, you did." Joey said flatly as he turned around, unable to believe it himself. Suddenly he remembered the conversation he had with Willow, and what she had confessed to him. It was at the tip of his tongue to tell Joker, but he held it back, though it was tempting. But he was a man, an _adult_, and he knew he was better than childishly getting back at Willow that way. With a deep breath he pushed the thought to the back of his mind, telling himself that simply laying down the law to Willow would be more beneficial than embarrassing her, or worse, maybe even getting her killed. "Look, homegirl pissed me off, so that's why _I'm_ mad. But you? I don't know what your deal is lately with her. I don't know Jack, ever since she left for Arkham and got back, you haven't been yourself, if you want the truth."

He quickly turned to the fridge, reaching for a can of fruit cocktail. Joker growled again as he finally looked up. He was about to tell Joey that no, he did _not_ want to hear the truth, but decided instead to just stop talking. He was stupid to even bring up anything in the first place. Nothing was wrong. Everything was normal and fine. He was just letting Willow distract him a little too much lately. All he had to do was get himself back on track.

"Tell her she's working tonight," Joey said suddenly, breaking his thoughts. "From ten 'till two."

"That your way of punishing her?" Joker asked as he raised an eyebrow.

"No," Joey said as he dug his spoon into the bowl. "Maybe I should only have her dance for the fat, sweaty guys."

"_That'll_ do it," Joker said sarcastically, and he rolled his eyes as he turned around to start upstairs. He found Willow sitting on the bed, holding her snake with a pout on her face. "You're working tonight," Joker said as he reached for his gloves on the end table.

"_Wee_," Willow said in a flat tone as she rose her eyebrows. Joker turned to her, tempted to do something about her tone with him, but instead he took in a deep breath. He was king at mind over body, at least he once was... He closed his eyes as he started to slide on one glove.

"Ten 'till two," he said. "So be ready. You're driving yourself."

Without another word he immediately exited the room, leaving Willow to glance up and watch as he started down the stairs. She felt like screaming. _What the fuck is going on today_? She wondered angrily. She stood up and put Crystal back in her tank, angrily slamming the lid back on before she latched it. She plopped back down on the bed, fuming at this point, wondering what had come over Joey and Joker. She closed her eyes, trying to make herself not think about it.

Nine thirty finally rolled around, and Willow had just started her car. Joey and Joker had already started to the club in Joker's Tahoe, leaving Willow by herself as she drove to work. Her long nap had done nothing but only irritate her more, especially after getting the silent treatment from both Joey and Joker. She had tried talking to them both, she even apologized to Joey. But in return all he did was repeat his new rule about girls in the house, leaving her even more upset and angry.

She was dreading work now, in no mood to dance or pretend to be nice. As she strolled into the club she did nothing to hide the scowl on her face, and she wasn't prepared to hide her bad mood either. On her way to the dressing room she noticed the looks she was getting from all the other strippers, it seemed, but she ignored him. After deciding on an outfit, she sat down to straighten her hair, deciding to make herself look good on _her_ terms rather than trying to impress Joker. He just did not deserve it that night.

It seemed all the chatter in the dressing room was at an all time low that night. The few that talked mumbled, and Willow could have sworn she heard her name a few times. But she ignored them all, hoping that the night would go by as quickly as possible. She had just finished straightening her hair, and she jumped slightly when she stood up, Lydia standing right in front of her with her hands on her hips.

"So what makes _you _so special?" She asked rudely as she leaned in some. Willow stared at her for a short moment before moving around her. Most of the girls in the dressing room now had completely stopped what they were doing to watch the drama. "Hey _bitch_. I'm talking to you."

Willow continued to ignore her, only making Lydia angrier, and she stepped up to Willow as she started down the dressing room and she shoved her. Willow stumbled forward but caught her balance quickly, and she angrily turned around and shoved Lydia back.

"What the _fuck_?" She spat, her eyebrows angrily furrowed.

"Who the hell are you to be staying at Joey's? What makes you so _awesome_ that he allows _you_ to stay there than any of us?"

A small grin crept along Willow's face. "Is this _seriously_ what this is about? Grow the fuck up, and mind your own-"

Lydia pushed Willow again, and a few of the girls cheered in Lydia's favor.

"You're fucking _fake_, thinking you're better than everyone cause you're Joker's girl? I bet you're _nothing_ when he's not around..."

Willow's eyes widened as she caught her balance, and she stared at Lydia. She had completely spoken Loc's words, and it seemed as though Willow blacked out with rage. She gritted her teeth as she advanced on Lydia, and she immediately grabbed a fistful of her hair. Lydia yelled out and quickly dug her nails into Willow's wrist, prompting her to let go. The other girls all yelled out as Willow and Lydia spun in circles, struggling against each other. Finally Willow let go, and attempted to punch Lydia as hard as she could, her loose knuckles clashing against her eye. Lydia ignored the pain, and instead grabbed Willow's hoop earrings, and Willow screamed out as she pulled on them. Willow brought her foot up, kicking Lydia in the stomach, and she stumbled back in as she screamed out. Willow had just jumped on her, ready to start wailing on her, when she suddenly paused when she heard Joey behind her.

"Hey! Hey! _HEY!_" He was making his way quickly through all the girls, Joker calmly walking behind him, and he instantly grew furious once he saw Willow hovering over one of the other girls. Willow resisted as best as she could as she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her force her back. Joey angrily threw her behind him, Willow stumbling as he quickly tended to Lydia. With angry eyes she watched as Joey helped Lydia up, and as she panted she touched her finger to her throbbing ears, her lower pierced holes bleeding.

"What the _fuck_ is going on?" Joey yelled now, noticing how all his girls instantly quieted down and backed up to give him space. He had only ever had one other physical girl fight in his club, only he had caught it before any serious damage could occure. Now, Lydia's eye was blackening, both girl's make-up was smeared to hell, Willow's ears were bleeding, and Lydia's hair was tangled in tight knots. "I said what the fuck happened?"

"S-she _hit_ me," Lydia started behind tears now, and she held her hand to her throbbing eye. Willow's mouth fell open and she took a step forward.

"She's started it!" Willow yelled. "She-"

"Stop!" Joey said as he held his hand out to her. This fight was seriously backing up his business right now. "I don't want to hear who the fuck started it. I want to know what happened!"

"I'm trying to fucking tell you!" Willow screamed at him, unable to hold it back. Joey's eyes widened and his lips thinned, and he instantly turned his body to face Willow all the way.

"Don't scream at me," he said in a more calmer tone, and he pointed his finger to her. "At home I may be your friend but here I'm your fucking _boss_, and you do _not_ yell at me. You are _this_ close to being fired, you hear me!"

Willow felt tears swell in her eyes and her bottom lip quivered as she instantly backed down. She had never seen Joey so mad, and it honestly scared her. Joey was breathing hard, unable to fathom how angered he was, and he looked up to stared behind Willow. The room grew gravely quiet as Joker slowly appeared behind Willow, his eyebrows raised as he looked from girl to girl. Willow glanced up at Lydia, a single tear sliding down her cheek, and she noticed how _terrified_ she looked as she stared at Joker, her crying completely halted now. Willow gritted her teeth.

"Yeah, who's nothing _now_?" Willow spat at her with a shaking voice. Joey instantly looked down to Willow and was just about to speak, but Joker was quick to beat him to it.

"Hey now," he started in that deep, clowny voice. Willow was shaking badly, but she felt her body relax a great deal when Joker placed his hand on her hip, resting his arm on her lower back. "Look, let's settle this like _mature_, adults, shall we?"

All the girls continued to gawk at him, terrified that he'd whip out that famous knife at any minute and go on a killing spree. Their eyes nervously fell to Willow, some noticing how calm she looked suddenly, while others were left still scared and confused. Some considered running or sneaking out of there, but the consequences of getting caught scared them stiff, literally.

"_Willow_," he started, and he looked down to her. Using his free hand he touched his gloved finger to the bottom of her chin, forcing her to look up at him. The leather was cool against her skin, and the dim lighting caused him to look more evil than normal. "_You_ need to just. Stop. Talking. Okay?" Joker nodded his head once as he started into her eyes, and she swallowed as she nodded. She was still somewhat mad at Joker, though at the moment she couldn't remember why, but she knew it best to _always_ listen to him, no matter what. "And Joey, is this _really_ the way to handle a cat fight? By sinking down to _their_ level and _screaming_?"

"Jack, shut the fuck up, I don't need you to-"

"Ah, ah," Joker said as he waved his finger in front of him. "_Listen _to me. We'll give both girls a chance to tell their side of the story. Fair?" He looked at Willow, who rolled her eyes and nodded, then to Lydia. Her eyes were wide with fear, and he took her nervous swallow as a yes. It wasn't that he actually cared to solve the fight. He just enjoyed being in the middle of everything. "So since Willow seems to be acting the most... _childish, _Lydia, why don't _you_ go first?"

At first no words came to Lydia's mouth, and she nervously glanced at Joey. Joey sighed. Unfortunately, Joker had found a way to quiet down the whole scene, as weird as that was, and luckily he seemed to be the only person who could shut Willow up at this point. That he was thankful for, so he decided to just let his friend handle the most of it.

Finally Lydia stuttered out her first word, figuring since Joey was here, an obvious friend of the Joker's, he wouldn't try anything. "W-well, I-I just asked her a question, and I guess she took it the wrong way because she suddenly punched me-"

"That's bullshit!" Willow yelled instantly. With a growl Joker quickly pulled Willow to the side so she stood in front of him, and he slapped his free hand over her mouth while he held her against him, his arm over her hips.

"_Please_ continue," he said with a false smile. The other girls all cowered back more, surprised at Joker's sudden action with Willow.

"S-she just punched me and it went from there..."

"Mhmm," Joker said as he slowly nodded. "So, tell me, why are Willow's ears _bleeding_?"

"I grabbed them in attempt to get her off of me," Lydia said. Joey looked from Lydia back to Joker now, noticing how Willow was glaring at Lydia.

"Makes sense, don't you think, Joey?" Joker asked. Joey rolled his eyes as his answer. "Willow? Will you _calmly_ tell your side of the story?"

Willow sighed, nodding her head as best as Joker would allow, and he removed his hand from her mouth, but kept his firm hold on her against him. She licked her lips as he pointed at Lydia.

"She pushed _me_ first when I was headed out. I was _trying_ to fucking ignore her, and then she pushed me again-"

"I did not!" Lydia quickly started. Willow's eyes widened and she tried to take a step forward.

"You fucking did! Every girl will agree on that!"

With another growl Joker pulled Willow back, and Joey breathed in deeply through his nose. Joker and Joey looked around the room, and Willow felt her stomach drop and her heart sink, all at once, as every girl nervously shook their head no. Her mouth dropped as she now struggled against Joker.

"That's fucking bullshit!" She screamed. "I didn't do anything!"

"Willow!" Joey yelled above her voice, and he took a step forward. "You're _fired_!"

Willow's ears rang upon hearing this news, and the entire room spun as she instantly settled down, and she stared up at him. "What?" She asked in a small, helpless voice, but Joey remained firm.

"I don't want you to dance here," he said harshly, not bothering to justify his reasons. "Jack take her out," he added, and he turned his body away, swinging his hand out as if she was trash. Joker was frowning at Joey, not sure, exactly, if he agreed with his decision. Joey turned to start saying something to Lydia quietly, and more tears streamed down Willow's face as Joker turned her towards the door, walking her out of the dressing room. It seemed everything about that day suddenly hit her hard, and now she was _fired_? It wasn't fair. Why did Joey suddenly hate her so much, and so randomly as well? They had just made it to the doors of the club when Joey finally made his way towards them, instantly pushing passed the doors. He shot Joker a look as he turned around.

"Let's just go now, man," he said as he nodded. "I need this."

"Willow, go home," Joker commanded in more of a firm voice. Willow's mouth fell as she looked up at him, suddenly feeling stupid with what she was wearing, and she attempted to cover up with her arms.

"By myself?" She asked sadly "I-I thought I was going too..."

"Go _home_," Joker added, getting slightly annoyed suddenly himself. This night was supposed to be fun, and now it was turning out to be anything but. Joey threw her her clothes and keys, and without a word started towards Joker's Tahoe. More tears streamed down her face as she stomped towards the Audi, and the second she started the ignition, she sped away.

The front door slammed shut behind her, rattling, it seemed, the entire house. Willow threw down her clothes and keys, not caring where they landed, and she stomped into the kitchen, ignoring completely the pain from her ears. She ran her fingers through her hair before she grabbed a fistful and she pulled down as she let out a yell of anger. She threw her hands to the side as she turned around, and she paced back and forth in front of the kitchen as she breathed deeply.

She tried to recall how the day had gone wrong. Her late morning had started off perfectly, it seemed, until Joey just _had_ to interrupt, and from there is when it seemed to take a turn for the worst. She tried to think back to what, exactly, had put Joey in such a fowl mood. All Willow had done was confirm Lydia's answer to her forceful question. Trying to put herself in Joey's shoes, she figured he probably thought she had only done it to make him angry, which she really hadn't. But the more she thought about it the more she became confused, and she knew she'd never find a logical answer, especially with Joker's case.

He had actually gone for her antics in the morning quite willingly, which lead Willow to believe they were on a great track, especially after what she had _stupidly_ admitted to Joey. But suddenly in the basement, once Joker had seen how angry Joey was, it seemed the mood instantly rubbed off on him, and lasted for the rest of the day into the late night.

A tear slid down Willow's cheek as she recalled the stupid fight she had gotten into. How could Joey have taken Lydia's side, a girl he _barely_ knew and had just hired? Her side of the story was ridiculous, she knew Joey should know that she wouldn't just up and start a fight. She loved her job there, and she would do nothing to jeopardize it. Though, she knew it didn't matter now. She was fired.

She took in a deep breath through her nose and forced herself to stop pacing. Maybe, she thought, Joey and Joker needed a long, chaotic night out to themselves. She had been excited to go, she wanted to see how it would all go down. But as she tried to calm herself and take a minute to think, she figured that it would maybe be a good way for them to vent out some anger, and hopefully come to realize she really had done _nothing_ wrong that entire day.

Thinking a _little_ more rationally now, suddenly being alone in Joey's giant house scared her a little, and she made her way to the door and she locked it quickly. She picked up her clothes from the floor, finally realizing she was still in the black lingerie she had picked out. She placed her car keys and the spare house key Joey had given her on the narrow table in the entryway and she started upstairs cautiously. The heat lamps for the snakes illuminated the guestroom, casting eerie shadows on the walls, and she calmed down some once she flipped the light on, quickly finding her large black t-shit to throw on over her tiny outfit.

After taking her earrings out and trying to clean up the crusted and fresh blood from the holes, she ventured back downstairs, and she paused atop the basement stairs. Her body still shook with left over anger, but it seemed fright was slowly taking over. She stared down at the stairs that led down into what seemed like pitch black. All she wanted to do was let Joey's dog inside so she wouldn't be alone and smoke a cigarette, but the task seemed rather difficult. Finally she forced herself down the stairs, cursing to herself for being so scared, angry at herself for even wishing Joker was there, especially under the certain circumstances. The moon shone in through the sliding glass doors, and sure enough there was Arlo, wagging his tail, ready to come inside for the night. Willow smiled as she let the dog in, locking the door after him, and they both ran upstairs. Now all that was left to do was hang out on the deck with Arlo and wait for Joey and Joker to come home...

a/n: this is definitely not willow's chapter, ahaha :( sorry for the long wait though! please review if you want the next one! :D maybe things will improve.. or, maybe they wont.. :D


	13. Forever Distractions

Willow remained laying in bed in the dark, not moving a muscle as she listened to the garage door open. She looked to the alarm clock that sat in front of her, the time nearly two in the morning. The garage door closed, and Willow immediately heard loud laughter erupting from downstairs. She wasn't sure to be relieved or annoyed by this. She closed her eyes again, trying desperately to drown them out.

From his spot on the foot of the bed, Arlo sat upon hearing his master's voice, and his ears perked up. Willow sighed as the dog jumped off the bed, and he stood by the door, wagging his tail. Willow stayed in bed, however, figuring he'd run out when Joker opened the door.

From downstairs Joker and Joey had just made their way into the kitchen, Joey turning on the lights behind him as he walked further into the house. Joker was busy taking off his coat and gloves while Joey headed into his office to retrieve the house phone.

"Look at all the missed calls," he said flatly, though he still wore a small grin on his face as he slowly walked back towards Joker, who stood by the breakfast bar. "Lydia... Lydia... Lydia... Danny?... _Lydia! _Holy _fuck!_"

"You gave her your number?" Joker as he hung his coat on one of the chairs at the table. "Why would you do such a _stupid_ thing, Joseph?"

"I don't know," Joey sighed as he cleared the phone up, and he placed it down on the counter. "Stupid huh?"

"I'd say," Joker agreed. "You've been acting pretty stupid," he added in a mumble as he placed his gloves on the counter.

"Me?" Joey asked as he raised his eyebrows. "_I've_ been stupid? Man look at you!" Joker glared at Joey for a moment, realizing quickly that he did not want to have this conversation. He continued to glare into his friend's eyes, the hint strong. Joey sighed finally. "Forget it," he said. "Hey, if she's still awake, tell Willow to come down here. I wanna talk to her..."

"Talk or yell, Joey?" Joker asked smartly before he turned around. He sighed as he started to the stairs, bothered by how just the thought of Willow seemed to rain on his parade. The night had been _so_ successful and above all, fun. He had finally forgotten all about all the issues surrounding Willow that awaited him when he got home, and he finally felt himself again. Joey ignored him and instead grabbed the phone and headed back into his office.

Joker jumped slightly when he opened the door, and he watched as Arlo rushed out of the room and down the stairs. With a slight growl he walked into the room, snapping on the lights, his eyes instantly falling to Willow's still figure in the bed. He continued to watch her as he rounded to her side of the bed, and he couldn't help but grin when he noticed her glaring up at him.

"Joey wants to talk to you," he said. Willow didn't say anything as she took her time pushing the covers off herself with a loud huff and she slowly sat up. Joker headed towards his side of the bed as he began to loosen his tie. Willow sighed as she pulled up a pair of shorts, and she dragged her feet behind her towards the door, bracing herself for another hurtful argument with Joey.

"Please, take your time," Joker said as he watched her. "He has all night, I'm sure." Willow rolled her eyes, just about at the door.

"I wouldn't want to fuck up anything else today," she mumbled. Joker narrowed his eyes on her and he watched as she exited the room before he finally started towards the bathroom.

Willow cracked her knuckles nervously as she headed towards Joey's office. She didn't bother knocking his his slightly ajar door to make her presence known. Rather she gently pushed open the door and stood in the frame, watching as Joey read over a paper on his desk.

Joey looked up from his desk with a frown; he looked awfully bothered. "Come in," he grunted before he cleared his throat. Willow took a lazy step inside, not bothering to hide that fact that she really didn't want to be there. Joey seemed to be searching for starting words, and Willow crossed her arms as she waited. "Look, I want to... apologize..." Joey mumbled as he looked down, and Willow's eyes widened. She definitely had not been expecting that. Her lips parted and she relaxed her body as she waited, hoping he'd go on, for she wasn't sure exactly what to say herself. "I don't know why I got so mad," Joey went on, only to stop suddenly.

"I'm sorry too," Willow said, sighing after she spoke. She wasn't sure if she really was sorry, she still thought she hadn't done anything, but she realized she was desperate to put an end to everyone's sour mood. "I didn't realize that I upset you."

"You didn't," Joey said honestly. "Lydia just... she put me in the mood in the first place. I don't even know why I bothered with her for so long. I mean she's a great dancer, but I don't usually have to work that hard, ya dig?" He laughed, an awkward attempt to lighten the mood, but Willow didn't laugh with him.

"I just..." she paused as she thought back to the club incident. "I just don't get how you'd take _her_ word over mine. Joey I might have started off hating dancing at your club, but I've come to love it and I thought you saw that. I wouldn't do anything to ruin that."

"I know," Joey said as he leaned forward in his chair, a large frown on his face.

"And when you took her story over mine, some random bitch that you just hired? I don't know, I guess I thought I was more than just Joker's... imprisoned... chick thing to you." Willow looked away as she shook her head, but she could help but smile slightly at her silly choice of words.

"The whole situation is weird," Joey said as he placed his elbows on his desk, and he linked his fingers together. "And that's something that Jack needs to figure out. But you're right. Look, I've come to appreciate you as your own person, I'd even go as far to call you a friend. I don't know why I took Lydia's story over yours..." he stopped suddenly as he thought, and he leaned back in his chair with a sigh. "All I know if she's the one that should have gotten fired. Not you."

Willow slowly looked back up to him. She was happy to hear Joey actually apologizing to her, but she still couldn't shake off how angry he had gotten. How did she know it wouldn't happen again?

"Look I'm not gonna make excuses for why I got so angry. All I can do is apologize, hope you see I mean it, and beg you to come back to club."

Willow couldn't help but grin slightly again, and she cursed to herself in her head for being so easy to win over. She accepted Joey's apology, she could see that he did mean it, and of course she wanted her job back. She knew by the look on her face Joey could already tell that everything was going to be okay, but deep down Willow felt the need to prove something to herself and Joey, even Joker. She had to show them that she couldn't just be pushed around, forced to deal with their fowl moods, and have to constantly go with the flow, living with Joker and his friend or not. She was still her own person, and she knew Joey and Joker probably forgot that _big time_. Willow's grin widened now as she uncrossed her arms, and she took a step forward.

"That depends," she started, her voice smoother suddenly, causing Joey to raise an eyebrow.

"On what?" Joey asked as he leaned forward again.

"If _Lydia_ is going to be there when I go back." Her grin widened into a toothy smile, and Joey couldn't help but to grin back.

"That's wasted talent," Joey said as he raised both eyebrows, nodding slightly. Willow shrugged.

"Then maybe you should stop dating your dancers." Willow smirked at him, holding her ground as Joey narrowed his eyes at her. "It's me or her," Willow gave her final ultimatum as she cocked her head to the side. "Choose wisely."

Joey grinned and let out a small, evil-sounding laugh. "You better watch it, girl," Joey warned as he pointed a lose finger at her. "And keep in mind this is the _only_ ultimatum I'll let swing by. Lydia will be gone tomorrow night."

Willow's smiled brightly now, wishing that her small, desperate attempt at seduction would work on Joker. She knew Joey was easier, however, and she was just glad she had finally gotten her way. It felt good.

"Good," she said. "Goodnight Joey."

Joey only shook his head as he leaned down to pet his dog, not bothering to say anything else as Willow walked out of the room, feeling pretty proud of herself. As she climbed the stairs, however, she grew more and more weary. Now she had to deal with Joker...

He was busy pulling the covers back, clad in nothing but his green boxers. The room was lit with the dim bulbs from the heat lamps, making the room seem cozy and inviting, that is, if Joker wasn't there. He paused to look over at her, his make-up freshly washed off, some of the white lingering in his hair just above his forehead, and he raised an eyebrow. "What did Joey want?"

"He apologized," Willow said simply, deciding it was best to just ignore him, or give him few word answers if she had to. She was still upset with him over how he had been treating her, and she knew the last thing he'd ever do was apologize for anything. As she was finding out, Joey seemed to have a hard time controlling himself when he felt a heavy emotion. Joker, however, was perfectly capable of _always_ controlling himself no matter what the situation, which led Willow to believe the way he had been treating her was one-hundred percent intentional. So, by deciding that ignoring him and not giving him the time of day was best at this point, she climbed back in bed noisily.

"Well, _that's _nice," Joker said falsely, though that devilish grin never disappeared. Willow merely raised her eyebrows before she plopped into bed, and she immediately turned her back to him as she rested her head on her fluffy pillow and she closed her eyes gently.

"Yup," she breathed. "At least _somebody_ knows how to..." she mumbled without thinking. She felt a cold shiver run down her spine once she realized what she had said, but Joker continued to pull down the sheet and fix his pillows, so she figured he had simply not heard.

But he had. His grin had faded into a large frown, and he narrowed his eyes on her, his dark blue orbs traveling over the sheet that outlined her wide hip perfectly as she laid on her side, and he absentmindedly licked his lips slowly. He was _not_ very fond of the tone she had just taken with him, though at the same time he couldn't help but want to reach out and trace the outline of her dangerously curvy body. He closed his eyes and took in a deep, irritated breath through his nose. While it was tempting to choke that sarcastic tone right out of her, at the same time he wasn't feeling much up to it. He was sick of battling his feelings towards her, and he knew he had to put a stop to it. Even if that meant swallowing his pride, just for a second in the privacy of the guestroom, and _talking_ to her like a real, _pathetic _and _weak_, human being.

"Willow," he said finally, and he let out a loud sigh after speaking her name. Willow's eyes snapped open and she angrily stared at the covered window in front of her, her lips thinned, but her eyebrows met in the middle when she felt Joker calmly sit on the side of the bed. "Turn around," he then commanded in somewhat of a soft, even voice. Willow swallowed as she turned onto her back, taking her time, and she placed her hands, one on top of the other, on her chest. She stared at Joker, a somewhat confused though still annoyed look on her face. She stared at Joker's naked face while he looked right into her eyes before he finally growled and closed his eyes, seemingly having a hard time with this. She wondered desperately why he was being so _gentle_ suddenly. She had never seen him act this way.

"Look," he finally started with a sigh. "You... _annoy _me..."

Willow's frowned deepened as she stared at him, now completely unsure where he was going with this. What was the point of that? But regardless, she placed her hands on either side of her body and gently hoisted herself up to lean her back on the headboard of the bed, waiting for him to go on as he sighed again.

"Okay," Joker said, and he turned his body towards her slightly more, and he held out his hands to make a point. "I know you, and you _think_ you know me. So with the knowledge I have on you, and the knowledge you _think_ you have on me, I think we can come to an agreement on our... situation here-"

"Situation?" Willow asked, and she cocked an eyebrow, trying not to seem so lost. "What situation?"

"I'm _not_ in the mood to play dumb, Willow. Joey may have apologized, but I'm not that pathetic. I'll admit it, I've been... moody lately. And you've been _extra_... clingy and annoying-"

To this Willow made a face. Joker was doing nothing but annoying her and angering her more now, she was foolish for thinking he was actually going to say something nice, but yet she _really_ wanted to know where he was going with this somewhat awkward conversation.

"-which is why I've been so angry." Joker sighed as he closed his eyes. "I guess what I want to do is clear this situation up. We both know our problem - _my_ problem – goes beyond I kidnapped you, you stay with me now. We're _not_ friend's Willow, we're not even fuck-buddies, and we're not _anything_ that goes beyond those, and we never will be. We are simply _distractions_ towards each other, understand?" Joker lowered his head as he looked at her and he raised his eyebrows.

Willow's jaw hung slightly slack as she stared at him. Never will be? Distractions? She thought about it for a moment. It was odd for Joker to be having a 'heart to heart' with her, but at the same time, she knew, she _hoped _it proved something. And the fact that he had simply broken down and resorted to _talking_ to her about their 'situation' only proved he had been battling feelings about her just as badly as she had. _Distractions_... she thought. _And never will be anything more than that_? She couldn't help but feel as though her heart had been stabbed. Why was this upsetting her so much?

Joker licked his lips before he went on and he lifted his head as he looked to the ceiling before back to Willow. "You _distract _me every damn day, and you keep from doing things that need to be finished. And _I _know I distract you as well. It's obvious we both have a serious, serious problem here..."

Willow couldn't help but grin, and no matter how hard she fought it, the sly smile would not leave her face. She noticed Joker narrow his eyes on her, but she couldn't help it. The world had obviously ended, for Joker was sitting here, looking defenseless as he admitted some sort of feelings toward her. It was almost a sick dream come true for her. But the words 'never will be' still echoed in her head, making any happy thoughts make a run for it, out of her mind.

"So..." Willow cleared her throat, her voice sounding hoarse suddenly. "Are you saying it's... bad? Should I try to _stop_ distracting you?" She had battled with herself on asking that question, but the moment seemed to push her on to doing so. Joker narrowed his eyes even more at her, but her heart skipped a beat when an evil grin played upon his lips, and he slowly made his way further on to the bed, closer to her.

"I didn't say that," he growled as he shook his head once, unable to stop eying her lips. "Some problems are better left _untreated_. I'm living proof." His grin widened as Willow's eyes widened slightly. Surely she had _not_ been expecting that answer, at all. Surely he would have told her to stop, of course. But he hadn't. That was the biggest mystery of all. Her heart pounded against her chest, and she wished Joker wasn't so unpredictable. "As long as we can agree that all we are towards each other are distractions, then I _won't_ have to kill you." Willow widened her eyes more as she swallowed nervously, Joker's grin expanding. "So, do we have an agreement?"

"Y-yes," Willow stuttered as she stared into his glazed, dark eyes, and she barely felt herself nod once, nearly hypnotized.

"Good," Joker growled. "Now, c'mere and _distract_ me."

Willow's lips parted as she watched Joker lift his arm, indicating she should scoot closer to him. She obeyed his silent command and slowly moved closer, resting her hip against his. That grin never fading from his mouth as he leaned down, hovering over her as he placed his lips on hers. Instinctively she reached up with her arms and she placed her fingers gently on either side of his face, her eyes closed. _Distraction_... she went on to think again. The longer she continued to kiss him, feeling his smooth tongue play games with hers, she couldn't help but feel being only a distraction towards him wasn't going to cut it, at least in the long run. But as for the moment, she couldn't help but feel just a little bit of joy from his confession. It wasn't hate, it wasn't like, and it most certainly wasn't love, but at least it was _something_. However, she couldn't deny the strong feelings she felt towards him, they most certainly went beyond a distraction, and deep down she could not help but feel slightly disappointed.

Joker gently bit her bottom lip before he pulled away, leaving Willow to slowly open her eyes and stare into his. She waited for him to say something, anything, but he stayed silent as he continue to look at her. Finally, without a word, he suddenly turned over, his back towards her, leaving Willow to sadly stare up at the ceiling She sighed as she turned onto her side, facing the covered window, and she closed her eyes, hoping sleep would take over quickly.

A feeling of remorse was quick to greet Willow as she stepped foot into the club the following night. Out of habit, she glanced over to the bar, taking in the way Britney was staring at her. Rather than her usual scowl, her jaw was dropped slightly in disbelief as she watched Willow slowly walk towards the stages. Willow finally turned her head away, trying hard to ignore her, though she couldn't help but notice how literally all the other dancers were glaring at her, their eyes narrowed. Apparently, word traveled along fast among the gossipy girls. She swallowed as she continued towards the stage, glancing to her right. She saw Joey talking to some man in a business suit, who was holding out a piece of paper towards Joey. She could tell by his body language that he was still in a bad mood, just like he had been that morning.

After Joey's apology Willow had been hoping the next morning everything would have returned to normal, but once she had gone downstairs for some coffee, the first thing she witnessed was Joey yelling on the phone to who she later found out was his brother. Joker had still seemed reserved all day, spending most of his time downstairs or in the guest room, barely making any contact with Willow, even after their little chat. It seemed staying at Joey's had once been so much fun. Even among all the chaos with Joker her life seemed so much better. But now Joey or Joker barely made contact with her. Willow wasn't sure how much longer she could take feeling so lonely and unwanted. It seemed her life had gone in a complete circle.

She had just made it to the back of the stage, and as she stepped into the narrow hallway she saw a few dancers making their way over. They stopped laughing and talking and their strides grew short and heavy as they approached. Willow looked down and pressed her back against the wall to let them through, ignoring the bitchy glares they shot her as they stomped passed, their heels clicking loudly. She slowly leaned off the wall, her throat feeling dry, and she touched her fingers gently to her neck. _This is stupid_, Willow thought sadly. She should have just stayed home. It was obvious she wasn't wanted here. She knew if she stayed it would only worsen her mood and current depressing outlook on life, and she wouldn't be able to put her heart into her performance. She figured all she could do was just go home and stay away from the club for a while after all.

She made a beeline towards the door, unsure of where Joey had gotten to. She kept her head down as she walked, her tangled hair in her face, but she paid no attention to it. She saw a pair of men's shoes making their way into the club, but she side stepped them and placed her palms on the door to push it open, only to stop with start.

"Willow?"

She lifted her head and slowly turned around, barely recognizing the man at first, until it finally hit her. That long black hair, those glasses, bright blue eyes and narrow jaw-line; it was Jonathan Crane!

"Jon!" She yelled excitedly, pushing herself away from the door to quickly step next to him. With a small laugh he hugged her, only for Willow to quickly step out of the hug. "What are you doing here?"

"Well..." Jonathan started slowly, getting slightly sidetracked the longer he looked at her. He allowed himself to study her somewhat messy look; her hair was tangled, her left over make-up smeared, and she wore a white tank top and baggy pants. If anything she looked exactly as she had in Arkham, thus proving Jonathan's theory. She had _definitely _gone back to the Joker, despite his highest hopes...

Willow stared at him with a smile, waiting for him to go on. He looked a lot better than he had in Arkham. Granted his hair wasn't smoothed back, hanging in his face instead, he appeared professional, with a street casual suit. He looked clean, bright, and at ease.

"Honestly?" Jonathan asked as he thinned his lips. "I was looking for you."

This sent a pang through Willow's heart, and her breath hitched in her throat as her smile widened. "Really?" She asked. This reply was astonishing to her. After living in a house with two guys who barely noticed her anymore, this shone a relieving light on her situation.

"Well, yes," Jonathan said as he glanced around. "It wasn't hard," he added as he frowned. "You're pretty well known here. Which I find sort of odd..."

"Why?" Willow asked. "Wanna go sit down?" She started over to a bare table near the door, Jonathan sitting across from her.

"I just don't understand why nobody turns you in," he said with a slight laugh. "All these people here? Who know about the club?"

Willow bowed her head slightly. "It's sort of a tight-knit group of people who come here. All the girls are so smitten with the owner, who is pretty... close... to me, and all the guys? I don't know, but it works. I guess they figure if they try anything Jo- never mind," she quickly stopped herself, and she forced a smile. "How about you? How have you been sense getting out?"

"Fine, fine," he said as he nodded his head, not really up to talking about himself.

"Are you staying at that... apartment?"

"No," he said. "I talked about other arrangements with my doctor." Willow noticed he seemed reserved, and he was having somewhat of a hard time looking to her eyes. But regardless, she was still happy to see him. It felt nice knowing that somebody in the world, or at least on Gotham, cared enough to spend time searching for her. She just wished the circumstances were a little bit better so she could enjoy it more, and maybe make more of an impression. "Granted I'm under some sort of strict surveillance with a new cop each week showing up at my doorstep... but anyway,"he said now as he adjusted his glasses. "Why did you leave the apartments? Why on _Earth_ would you go back to the Joker?" He leaned in closer now, crossing his arms on the table as he exhaled out of his nose. "After all you said about him? After all the pain he brought to you? I know you didn't forget about it."

Willow leaned back in her chair and she stared at the floor, merely shrugging her shoulders. She didn't know how to answer that without sounding like an idiot. She knew the truth was silly, but what else could she say? "I didn't have anywhere else to go-"

"Anywhere else to go?" Jonathan asked. "Willow, you got to have a _second chance_. You had the opportunity to start over, clean"

There was many things wrong with his 'what should have been' statement. For one, she just _knew_ eventually Joker would have gone looking for her, and if not Joker than Joey. And two, things were different, or at least had been. Joker seemed to have seriously regretted his choice of abandoning her in her worst moment. And three, she had nowhere else to go. Starting over frightened her, and she found herself not wanting to start from scratch, to live a normal life, _alone_. There were too many scars, both mental and physical for her to ever be happy surrounded by new people.

Jonathan sighed, smiling slightly. "Look, I didn't come here to accuse you of anything or tell you what you should have done. I just... wanted to see you."

Willow lifted her eyes to look at him, and she couldn't help but smile slightly.

"Why don't you come back to my place," Jonathan said as a new song came on, and he frowned as Willow's face fell. "I mean, so we have a quiet place to talk."

"I don't know..." Willow said as she glanced passed the table. She knew nothing good could come out of her going with him, even if it was for an hour or two. It was too risky going someplace new, and she did not want to know how Joey and especially Joker would react with the news.

"It'll be fine," Jonathan said. "It's a little crowded here, and I just really want to catch up."

"Jon, I would, but-"

"But what?" Jonathan interrupted again. "You can do what you want. I'm sure Mister Joker won't mind..." he rolled his eyes as he leaned back. Willow bit her lip in thought, thinking quickly. On the surface she knew she shouldn't, but deep down, she really did want to talk further with Jonathan. She recalled all the talks they had at Arkham, and how much he had helped her through her time there. He had actually _listened _to her and treated her like a friend. She knew it was because of him she had gotten released in the minimum amount of time. If he hadn't, she'd still be there... He had come all this way to just to find her, just to _talk_ to her. It was so tempting. Joker and Joey didn't have to exactly know...

"O-okay." She gave in easy. "Just let me tell my boss..."

Jonathan smiled widely as he leaned up again, his eyes bright and wide behind his black framed glasses. "I'll be waiting."

Willow stood up quickly, figuring she could find Joey in his office. Rather he was standing in the private room, conversing with that same man from before. Willow stood a few feet from them, waiting silently until Joey turned towards her, and completely ignored the man when he smiled and said, "Yes?"

"I think I'm going to go home," Willow said as she stepped closer swallowing "I just... it doesn't feel right being here."

Joey frowned. "I understand, girl. But hey, when you get there tell Jack – if he's even home – _not_ to eat that pizza in the fridge, right?"

Willow paused. "Why?"

"Because I want it," Joey said in a tone that suggested Willow was stupid for asking. She couldn't help but grin and roll her eyes, and she turned around to head toward the exit. She figured Joker wasn't home anyway, and she knew she'd be home before Joey.

Jonathan was waiting for her at the door, his arms crossed as he leaned on it, and she turned around, glancing behind her one final time to make sure joey wasn't watching. The red curtain closed and Joey nowhere in sight, Willow finally stepped into the night with Jonathan, her heart pounding.

hey guys, im so sorry about the long wait. a lotta things came up, but im not gonna get into it. everything is real good now :) im also sorry for the super short chapter... :/ the next one will be longer and hopefully out to you much quicker. thanks SOOOO much for the reviews guys, they mean a lot, and im happy to see i have a lot of fans for this story. it wouldn't be here without you!

and please check out my website for the series: it can be found on my profile! thanks and don't forget to leave a review! :D:D


	14. Always There For You

The rain picked up slowly on the way to Jonathan's, until finally Willow had her windshield wipers going on full. She squinted her eyes and leaned up, straining to see out of the tinted windshield and follow Jonathan's Dodge Viper as it weaved in and out of the wet and gloomy city streets. Willow grew more and more weary, and she glanced down at the time. She had been following him for nearly ten minutes now. Before they left he had assured her that it wasn't very far. 'Wasn't very far' was equal to or less than five minutes in Willow's book, especially with Joker watching her every move.

But finally, at around ten forty, they were pulling up to a small house, located in a tiny neighborhood on the outskirts of downtown Gotham. Jonathan pulled into the garage, and he hung his arm out the window, motioning for Willow to do the same. With a nervous swallow she pulled her car up the driveway and parked it next to Jonathan's. Willow took her keys from the ignition and stepped out of the purple vehicle just as the garage door started to go down, separating them from the rain.

"You see, this is just a pretty bad neighborhood, and I figured nice cars shouldn't be at the mercy of some thug on the streets," Jonathan explained as they started towards the garage door that led into the house. He pushed it open, letting Willow step in ahead of him. They had entered a dark living room with a tan, wrap-around couch. Just to her right was a small flight of stairs that led up into the kitchen. She turned around as Jonathan made his way into the house, closing the door behind him, and he flashed her a smile.

"Are you hungry? Thirsty?"

Willow smiled slightly as she shook her head. Her heart had never stopped pounding since the moment she agreed, and she kept reminding herself that she wasn't going to stay long. If everything went according to plan, she'd be leaving in the next hour, and would beat Joey home. And miraculously, Joey would _not_ bring up the fact that she had really left around ten thirty. This way Joker would never have to know, and it would spare her the horribleness that would go with it if he were to find out.

"Aw, c'mon," Jonathan said with a laugh. "I have _ice cream_. I _know_ you can't resist ice cream."

Willow grinned as she looked down. "Fine," she said. Jonathan smiled and started up the small flight of stairs, taking two at time. Willow followed him, looking around as she took in the dark wood old cabinets and counters. Jonathan motioned to the table, and Willow took a seat while Jonathan went about getting out what she noticed was vanilla ice cream. With his back to her, she watched as best as she could as he scooped it into a bowl until she finally lost interest, and she stared at a living room that was just passed the kitchen, studying the glass design on on the little window on the front door.

"Do you live here alone?" Willow finally broke the silence.

"Well... no," Jonathan said somewhat uneasily. He silently reached into his pocket to bring out a small bag of pills,_ his_ pills. He held a capsule between his fingers as he replaced the bag, and over the bowl of ice cream he broke the capsule, letting the white powder fall over the frozen treat. He sprinkled it all around, unable to help the grin that slid that onto his face. Finally he turned around with the bowl of ice cream and he set it down in front of Willow before he placed a silver spoon on the table. "One of my old thugs lives here, to be honest with you." He sat down on the opposite side of the table, trying as hard as he could to keep that psychiatrist poker face as Willow took the first bite of ice cream from the bowl. Poor Willow had no idea...

"I'm really glad I found you, Willow," Jonathan suddenly spoke up. Willow felt her stomach drop upon hearing these words, and she wasn't sure what to say as she continued to look at him, holding the spoon daintily between her fingers. Lucky, she didn't have to say anything. "I mean, I felt like we really _connected_ at Arkham." He paused, waiting for her to say something. When she continued to stay silent, he pushed on. "Don't you?"

"Yeah," Willow said. Thinking about it, she realized she was able to talk to him in ways she knew she never would be able to with Joker. She was able to open up completely with Jonathan and tell him everything. She wasn't sure if it was the doctor in him that enabled him to listen _so _well and feel what she was feeling, or if he just really cared. It seemed it was turning out more and more that it was because he actually cared. The feeling was nice for her, however. Just simply knowing _someone_ out there cared about her, cared about the person she was, and appreciated her for only being herself and not having to do anything more.

"Is that a 'yeah I agree' or a 'yeah please stop talking'?" Jonathan asked with a small smile, causing Willow to smile back slightly.

"I agree," she said. "Everything I told you I'd been holding in forever. You really helped me out," she added in a small voice unable to help but feel slightly uneasy. Jonathan remained staring at her, his light blue eyes stunning until he finally blinked and looked down.

"Willow I feel like I can be honest with you," he started, and Willow's heart raced as she watched him move around the table to take a seat next to her. He looked back into her eyes, but this time did not grin or smile. "I really, really like you," he said. "I've had _so_ many encounters with other women, but non have been like you. There's just so much to you, and after all you've been through you're still so... sweet."

Willow's lips parted slightly as she listened, and the room spun wildly. She hadn't expected such an open confession, and she honestly had no idea he even felt that way. Suddenly Joker faded out of her mind, leaving Jonathan as her only thought. He was probably the only guy in the universe who saw any good in Willow, other than dancing skills or

di_stractions'_. Here was a guy who just admitted he _appreciated_ her for her, who liked her for who she really was and who she didn't have to pretend to be. She had been a complete _wreck_ in Arkham: constant crying, shouting and breaking completely down, greasy, disgusting hair, chapped lips, bright red naked eyes and a flushed face, and yet Jonathan was _still_ attracted to her. All she had done was complain about everything, she was stubborn when he offered her advice or gave his insights on things. She acted like a depressed brat, and yet he still admired her. It made no sense to her at all, she could even handle Joker or Joey in a bad mood. However, she couldn't help but feel comforted, and above all, _special_.

"I understand your current condition with the Joker," Jonathan said his name bitterly. "But I can _help_ you Willow," he said as he leaned in closer, his face just a mere few inches away. "I can keep you from him, and appreciate you like he _can't_."

Willow instantly started to shake her head. Keep her from him? _Yeah right_. She knew it would be a matter of _days, _most likely _hours_ for him to easily find her, where ever she went. But it seemed all logic went out the door for the time being, and all that existed were the words Jonathan was speaking, the words Willow hadn't realized she always wanted to hear.

Jonathan continued to look at her, trying desperately to read her. She remained staring back at him, and he noticed she looked nervous, confused, and slightly uneasy. But he noticed how relaxed her body looked, and he knew his confession was having some sort of positive affect on her. He wasn't lying, he was telling the absolute truth. He had never met anyone like her, and he enjoyed spending as much time as he could with her. And he planned on spending _much_ more time with her, if only she would start eating that ice cream. If his plan went accordingly, Willow would soon forget about any and all warm feelings she had over Joker. But with her mind so corruptible just by itself, it was seeming as if Jonathan didn't even need the help of his newest drug.

Willow was trying to think of something to say, but nothing came to mind. A grin slowly appeared on Jonathan's face and his lips parted before he spoke. "Sorry to bring this up all so, quickly and randomly, but I've been keeping it to myself for a long time. When you left Arkham... I've never felt so alone, to say the least."

"Jon, I really appreciate you telling me all this, but if the circumstances were different then maybe-"

She was interrupted abruptly when Jonathan's lips suddenly touched hers. She couldn't help but gasp and jump back slightly, and her body tensed when Jonathan placed his hands on her upper arms as if holding her still. She wasn't sure if it was because she was so stunned or because she wanted this, either way she found herself frozen as her eyes closed, and as confused as ever. But the moment was so different, so much more gentle than when she kissed Joker, and Jonathan gently placing his hand on the side of her face didn't help matters much. Unlike Joker, his hands were so smooth and soft, his touch light compared to Joker's heavy hand. His lips were warm and soft, and Willow couldn't help but to deepen the kiss herself as she leaned in closer. All too soon, however, he pulled away, opening his eyes, and he stared into hers.

"We'll change the circumstances," he said. "I'd never hurt you Willow," he said easily, though this wasn't entirely true. "All I want is to get to know you." Here was a truth. "And I know you do too."

Willow bit her lip, looking down as Jonathan leaned away slightly, and she looked back to him when he let out a laugh. " I didn't mean to scare you," he explained. "But sometimes actions speak louder than words. Look, I understand if you feel the need to go back. I can wait. I'm a patient person," he added.

Willow nodded, her mind still on that kiss. He'd wait for her? She wasn't exactly sure what he meant by that. She didn't know what to do suddenly. On one hand here was Jonathan just as he had presented himself, but on the other was Joker, and Willow just couldn't shake off feelings for him. She also did not want to know what would happen if she was to just suddenly run away from him. She was not ready to be in Joker's wrath, and she knew she never would. It would be nice to live life finally being able to breath again and not have to be cautious all the time. But the risk of getting this was far too great.

"We'll change the subject," Jonathan offered and he looked down at Willow's melting ice cream. "I'm sorry," he then added.

"Don't be," Willow said quickly. "I liked it," she said honestly. "But I can't just leave. That puts me _and_ you in danger, and it's just... not worth it," she added slowly. "I'm sorry."

Jonathan had heard her, and he pretended to be sympathetic over it, when fact of the matter was Willow was staying with him, regardless of the wrath of the mental clown. If Joker even decided to waste his time with finding her, Jonathan knew he'd be ready...

The minutes passed silently as Willow finished her ice cream, glad Jonathan had understood her point of view. She still wanted to enjoy his friendship, and she wanted to keep around the one person who appreciated her. She was even pretty proud of herself for being so honest so easily. However, the mood was still a little bit awkward, so Willow figured she'd break the silence with a question.

"So what are you gonna do? Like I mean, are you gonna... go back to... what you were doing before?"

"Well I can't be a doctor anymore if that's what you're asking," Jonathan replied quickly, only to suddenly understand the question. "Oh, I see. Well, I would be lying if I said Arkham made me see the error of my ways and that I've been... cured, or whatever you want to call it. But..." he paused, and Willow watched him seem to be recalling something. "Maybe someday I'll finally go back to what I did... but as for now, I figure I should just-" he cleared his throat, "-lay low. At least until the police stop showing up..." He sat back, knowing very well there were no police visits. He continued to watch silently as Willow devoured her ice cream. It was only a matter of time now...

"On the subject," Jonathan finally said as he excitedly leaned in over the table. "Do you want to see my mask?"

Willow slowly removed the spoon from her mouth, emptying on it what contained the last of the ice cream, and she licked her lips. "Mask?" She asked as she raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah," Jonathan said excitedly as he started to get up, his knees bent as he lingered over the chair. "I used to use it in all my experiments! I'll go get it."

Willow smiled slightly as she watched him go, completely clueless as to what was going on. She placed the spoon in the bowl with a clank and sat back in the chair, but once her back hit it, dizziness suddenly washed over her. She quickly sat up as if balancing herself, figuring she had just gotten light-headed, but the problem persisted. She slowly leaned back again, breathing deeply, the humming from the fridge near deafening. She stared at the fridge with wide eyes, the black reflecting all those lights... where were those lights coming from?

What was only a few seconds felt like hours. Her stomach clenched tight, and she leaned forward as she folded her arm over it, squinting her eyes as she doubled over.

"Jonatha-!" Her she trailed off, completely unable to finish the word. Her voice sounded low and deep, and distant, and she tried to take a deep breath in, only to find her mouth dry, her throat feeling as though it had closed up. "Jonath-" She stopped short again, and instantly panic settled in.

_Okay, okay_, she thought in her head. _I'm having a panic attack... that's all._ But why was she? She wasn't sure. But this didn't feel like a panic attack, things were different. Colors were vibrant, noises were loud, her stomach hurt her something awful and she could not speak. Had Jonathan drugged her?

She finally forced herself up. Her legs wobbled and tingled, but she ignored it, and she stumbled around the table, holding it with one hand while her other arm was still held over her stomach. She knew something wasn't right...

She heard footsteps in the distance, growing louder and louder at an alarming rate. Her fuzzy mind didn't allow her to wonder what it was, and it suddenly barely allowed her to concentrate what she was doing. She continued to hold onto the table, until suddenly her stomach churned and her legs gave out, and she toppled to the floor. The room vibrated, spun and shook as she landed, the floor feeling freezing as she tried to hold herself up on her arms. Jonathan had returned, and from behind his trademark mast that resembled a scarecrow, he grinned down at Willow.

"_Oh, Wiiillloooww_."

_Joker_? Willow thought to herself, trying hard to concentrate on the word as it echoed in her mind. It was his voice... She lifted her heavy head up, her eyes coming face to face with a very familiar, tan pair of clowny-looking shoes... Her eyes traveled up further, her jaw hanging slack, her eyes wandering over those purple pants, that green vest until finally she stared into the dark, glazed over eyes of the Joker. He wore a small grin on his messy painted face, it seemed as though he had just gotten out of a storm, but Willow wasn't happy to see him. Her eyes immediately fell to the sharp knife he held tight in his gloved hand, his eyes staring straight into her soul.

She let out a terrified scream and instantly clutched into a ball on the floor as Joker lashed out, bringing his knife down with him towards her body, the drug coursing through her system masking the fact that in reality, it was only Jonathan who had slowly bent down, gently placing his hand on her shoulder.

"_No_!" Willow screamed. "_Don't hur– me Joke-"_ The sentence didn't form as she cowered, her eyes clenched tightly. Why was Joker trying to kill her? What had she done? She had _never_ felt so scared in her entire life.

Jonathan chuckled to himself as he gently lifted Willow's head up. On the other hand, however, _Joker_ had violently forced her head up, his fingers squeezing her jaw, the pressure unbearable. The room spun behind his angry face, and his face blurred about as he gritted his teeth, talking through them, giving her death threats Willow could not hear.

"How interesting is _this_?" Jonathan asked happily to himself. "Willow's biggest fear seems to be the Joker. Who could have seen this coming?" He placed his hands under her arms, Willow screaming as she tried desperately to get away. It felt as though she was widely thrashing around,when in reality she was merely moving her arms up and down, barely. "Any minute now you're going to go into a deep, deep sleep," Jonathan was saying quietly as he dragged Willow out of the kitchen and toward the stairs that led up to the bedrooms. He started up them backwards, letting Willow's body drag in front of her as he pulled her along. "And that's when all the fun can begin..."

It had been a long night at the club, and all Joey wanted to do was eat the rest of his pizza and pass out on his bed. He had not fired Lydia for he had thought better of it, but she was not happy when he told her he couldn't see her anymore. This resulted in constant, unwanted nagging, leaving Joey seriously considering bringing her home to have his friend do the deed he did not want to be framed with doing. But he had ignored her, instead busying himself with the dealing with the persistent business man who seemed desperate to buy Joey's club. He pushed open the front door with a sigh, instantly glancing up the stairs, noticing that the bathroom light was on, the light shining through the bottom of the door and spilling into the floor. The guestroom door was closed, and he frowned and let out a huff when he noticed the TV on. He instantly looked away from the living room to make a beeline to the fridge, tossing his keys on the breakfast bar and he practically threw the fridge open, only for his eyes to nearly pop out of his head. Where was the pizza box?

He moved all the random items in the fridge around and checked the drawers, even the small ones, but there was no pizza box. Finally he turned his head to the left, where his dark eyes met the open and _bare_ pizza box that sat on the counter by the sink. His felt his teeth clench tightly and he growled deeply before yelling "_Jaaaack!_"

"What?" Came a voice so flat and so close it startled him. He turned his head to face the noise, and he couldn't help but jump when he saw Joker's head peeking out from atop the couch, the glow from the TV causing his hair to appear a pale blue. His face was bare and he looked bored as he stared at Joey.

"Why'd you eat my pizza man?" Joey asked as he pointed back to the fridge, walking closer to the living room. Joker rolled his eyes lazily as he sat up all the way. He rubbed his eyes as he stood up, and he made his way around the couch. "I thought I told Willow to tell you not to!"

"First of all, _Joseph_," Joker started as he held up his finger to his friend. "You're freaking out over _food_. You are acting like a fact girl who received a _double _cheeseburger rather than a triple. And second, Willow never came back."

"What?" Joey was instantly confused, completely ignoring Joker's remarks over the pizza. "She said she was going home around ten, ten thirty."

"Never came," Joker said slowly as he raised an eyebrow. He wasn't concerned really, rather he was slightly annoyed. "What exactly did she say?" He asked as he followed Joey calmly into the kitchen. Joey opened the fridge, feeling defeated as he looked for a new means of a _very_ late dinner, or very early breakfast.

"She said that it didn't feel right being there and that she was going home. Then I told her to tell _you not_ to eat my damn pizza."

Joker rolled his eyes again. "I can sense your concern," he said sarcastically as he leaned over the breakfast bar.

"Yeah I can see you're pretty worried, too," Joey shot back as he closed the fridge, empty handed.

"Look, she's probably just..." Joker tried to think of where she could have intentionally gone, but nothing turned up in his mind. He knew she had nowhere to go, that she knew nobody. Joey stared at him, sarcastically tilting his head as he waited for Joker to think.

"Just... went for a drive? Took a shopping spree and her car broke down? Or maybe she's visiting her old friend's from high school."

Joker glared at Joey now. Thinking about it further, it seemed very unlikely that she would just go somewhere by herself, without even _asking_ him. He knew she was smarter than that, anyway. But he couldn't shake off the weird feeling he got as he thought of her being in trouble. He closed his eyes and shook his head before speaking, refusing to feel that way. "Look she's probably fine," Joker said in a firm voice. "If she's not back by tomorrow afternoon, then you can start to worry."

"Right. _I'll_ start to worry," Joey said as he rolled his eyes. "I have a theory, would you like to know it?"

"I have a gun. Would you like me to _use _it?" Joker asked sarcastically as he titled his head with a toothy grin, his eyes wide. Joey ignored him, grinning instead.

"I think you would be _terrible_ with pets."

Joker's face fell into a frown as he brought his head back up and he stared at Joey. He squinted his eyes as he leaned in, thrown off by Joey's theory.

"Think about it," Joey said. "Willow is like... your cat. Your cute, but curious cat. And one day, curious kitty wandered off right under her owner's –that's you- nose and he didn't even notice or care. And you know what they say curiosity did to the cat..."

"You what they say the Joker did to his friend who talked too much?" Joker asked flatly as he watched Joey walk out of the kitchen, standing his ground at the counter.

"Bought him a new pizza?" Joey asked over his shoulder sarcastically, grinning slightly.

"They say he stapled his mouth shut."

Joey stopped walking as he frowned, and he turned around. Joker looked dead serious, a grin not even threatening to crack his face. For a second the image of his mouth being stapled shut came to mind, until he finally shrugged it off. "And you know what they say the friend did to the Joker?"

"Dropped the subject?" Joker asked as he started to follow Joey to the stairs, his strides long and slow as he grinned at him. Joey let out a low laugh as he started up the stairs. Without another word he headed to his room, leaving Joker to go into the guest room. The room was empty once he snapped on the lights, and again he couldn't help but wonder where Willow _had_ gone to. She always acted so cautious around him and seemed to wait for Joker's word to do anything. Surely she would not just up and leave without him in her thoughts. He tried to erase the thoughts from his mind as he plopped down into the bed, bouncing slightly as he pulled the sheets up. It felt odd being alone in bed for once, and he idly turned his head to Willow's empty side of the bed. On the surface he had pushed the thought away as he closed his eyes, though deep down he had to wonder if his distraction was okay, where ever she was...

Rampage's rattle woke Joker up the following morning. With a groan he clenched his eyes tight as he rolled from his side onto his back, and he slowly opened his eyes. The bed was empty in front of him, and he absentmindedly let out a groan at this new and somewhat startling information as he eyes slid shut again. Across the room Rampage continued to rattle his tail, prompting Joker to look at him as he pressed his nose to glass, glaring at the beast in bed. Joker opened one eye to glance at him, and he watched as the snake stared at him until finally, with yet another groan, he rolled back onto his side to face his edge of the bed. He kicked the sheet off of him and slowly sat up, running his fingernails through his tangled hair as he glanced at the clock.

With the time reading just about ten forty in the morning, Joker finally stood up. He leaned back as far as he could to stretch, rotating his neck around once he stood up straight. The house was quiet as he stepped onto the landing, Joey's door closed. With a yawn he headed to the bathroom, deciding it best to go ahead and put his greasepaint on now. More than likely he'd have to go out and find where Willow had gotten to. One half of him had been expecting to do this, while the other half had to wonder if she was okay, and when he found her if she'd even be alive...

After rubbing his eyes he stared at himself in the mirror for a good minute, blankly looking into his own eyes until finally he opened his square container of white paint. With a yawn he used his fingers to smear the paint around his face, going around his eyes and mouth. After his black and red portions had been sloppily finished, he calmly opened the door and lazily headed back to the guest room. After getting dressed in a pair of gray, pinstripe baggy pants and a black button down long sleeved shirt, Joker headed out of the room to find something to eat.

Joey was sitting at the table, a freshly peeled orange sitting in front of him in a small bowl as he perused the newspaper. Neither man said anything as Joker headed to fridge, knowing very well he was not going to find anything suitable for a makeshift breakfast. Settling on a glass of orange juice, he leaned against the counter, looking passed the breakfast bar at Joey.

"Going to look for Willow?" Joey asked, able to see Joker's painted face from the corner of his eye.

"Eventually," Joker said with a sigh as he took a sip from his glass. "I'll give it another hour or two. Or three."

Joey rolled his eyes as he folded the paper and placed it down. "Man you know damn well you're going to end up going as soon as possible." Joey stared at Joker blankly, studying his face for his natural reaction. But Joker remained staring back until he rolled his eyes to the side and he titled his head as if in thought.

"Nah," Joker said as he finally shook his head. He barely had to fight to keep on a straight, bored face, but the longer Willow was gone, the more he had to wonder where she had gone. In all honesty he was starting to believe it wasn't actually her who had gone somewhere. Perhaps she had gone somewhere against her will...

"_Nah_," Joey mimicked Joker with a grin as he raised his eyebrows. He laughed to himself as he shook his head, standing from the table. "It's funny how you pretend not to care about her."

"I don't have to _pretend_, Joey," Joker bitterly said back as he followed Joey with his eyes. Joey simply smiling and shaking his head again irritated Joker further, not because it was annoying, but rather because Joker knew he was right.

"Whatever man," Joey said. "I can see right though it."

With Joey behind him at the sink now, Joker stared at the floor, deicing it best to just drop the subject, for both his and mainly Joey's sake. "Was her car still at the club?" Joker asked instead.

"No," Joey replied.

"Good," Joker said simply. Without another word he headed towards the stairs, Joey silently watching him go.

"Subject appears to be in a state of semi-consciousness with difficulty breathing correctly. Eyes are bloodshot and sagging, mouth is dry... the skin is pale, clammy and cold, with an overall body temperature of about ninety-five degrees." Jonathan let his finger off the red button on his small recorder as he leaned over in his chair towards the small cot-like bench Willow laid on, face up. He waved his hand over her face, only for her to gasp and close her eyes tightly and turn her head away. "Subject seems to still be experiencing mild hallucinations and reacts heavily to any sort of rapid movement. Sweat has not receded from the back of the neck or forehead. The time is now eleven in the morning, subject has been under the influence for just over twelve hours now." He removed his thumb from the button once again and set the black recorder on the desk just next to him. He turned back to Willow as he pushed his glasses up, and he glanced up to Spade, the 'thug' he had mentioned to Willow who shared the house with him.

"When are these affects going to start to go away?" Spade asked as he looked from Willow up to Jonathan, who sat on the other side of the bench. He watched as Jonathan prepared some sort of syringe, taking off the cap before he leaned in towards Willow.

"They should have worn off a while ago," Jonathan answered. "Preferably, a good eight hours ago." He pressed the needle to her arm, Willow not even feeling the sting from it as she kept her eyes closed, slowly swaying her head side to side. She was aware of the voices around her and she could understand them, though she could not comprehend what their words meant. Joker had gone away, leaving Jonathan and a giant, muscular man with frizzy black hair and a long goatee to remain. Every time Willow looked at him all she could see was the Devil, so in her fuzzy state of mind she did everything she could not to look at him.

"What's that stuff?" Spade went onto ask. Jonathan glanced up at him with a frown, but didn't let his patience ware off. Spade had been with him for a while, but didn't prove intelligent enough for Jonathan's tastes, thus making him only the man for the heavy lifting. "This should speed up the process of ridding the drug from her system," Jonathan said calmly. "We're going to need some more test subjects," he then added as he sat back in his chair, folding his hands on his lap.

A small whimper escaped Willow, causing Spade to glance down at her before he looked back up to Jonathan. "Who is this girl anyway?"

"She was at Arkham," Jonathan said simply with a sigh. "Once this wares off she'll be pretty confused," he went on now as he stood up. "If the drug worked correctly, she won't remember _any_ of this. And if not, well have Robert and Company to blame for that one. Let's go."

Spade followed his boss out of the tiny, dark room, and he gently closed the door behind him. He had never understood anything Jonathan did. He never understood the medication he created or half of the words he spoke, but Jonathan had been the only one in his life who seemed to appreciate him for something, even if that was being an errand boy and doing all his heavy lifting. The two men headed downstairs, and Jonathan immediately turned to Spade once he had just reached the bottom of the stairs.

"I need you to head into town and meet a Carl Richards at the warehouse on 5th and Dark Street and tell him I'm unable to make the meeting. I'll call you in precisely an hour if things with Ms. Willow Fox do not improve, in which case we will be having a long talk with Robert. Understand?"

"Yes boss."

Spade immediately turned to the front door, his keys already in his pocket. Jonathan headed towards the kitchen, and he looked out of the window that faced the city. He knew once he perfected his newest drug of fear, Gotham would be under his surrender. All he needed were a few more test subjects to use and later throw away. Willow, however, he planned on keeping around. She would eventually prove to be an exceptional partner in his operation. Jonathan hadn't been lying about all that he had said to her the night before. Maybe one day Willow would become something more, but as for right now, love was not what he was looking for.

He wondered in the back of his mind how Joker was reacting to this situation. _Probably doesn't even care_, he thought to himself. _Probably doesn't even notice_. Surely if Joker cared, even just a little, he would have sprung to action a long time ago to find her. But just like when Willow had gone to Arkham, he did nothing about it. Jonathan knew it would have been easy for him to have broke Willow out, Joker had broken himself out plenty of times. He figured he had nothing to worry about...

–

Confusion overcame Joey after watching Joker head into his office with a small square contraption with a wire hanging off the end of it. After a few minutes to trying to ignore it, he finally forced himself off of the couch and entered his office, where he found Joker sitting in front of his computer, staring at the monitor with a bored expression, his fist under his chin, holding his head up. Joey noticed that small contraption had been plugged into the computer, and as he advanced towards the desk he noticed a blinking green light on it.

"What's that?" Joey asked as he stepped around the desk to stand behind he chair Joker sat in. The computer showed a fuzzy picture of what appeared to be some sort of map, the word 'processing, one minute please' in white lettering over the blurry picture.

"DPS," Joker answered simply with a flat voice as he leaned back in the chair.

"You mean _GPS_?" Joey asked.

"No," Joker said. "It's my own little twist. Stands for _Distraction_ Positioning System, because as we all know, Willow _is _a distraction. I had a tracker installed in the Audi before I picked it up. Once it decides to work, I'll know _exactly_ where she is."

"Why couldn't you have done this last night?" Joey asked casually. Joker paused, instantly feeling angry. Unfortunately, that was a good question, why hadn't he?

"Don't you have some place to be?" Joker asked rudely as he turned his head to glare up at his friend.

"Not 'till ten," Joey answered with a grin. Joker rolled his eyes as he looked back to the monitor, the map finally deciding to load. He watched as it finished processing, and finally it showed a red dot over a house located on Jay Street. Joker raised an eyebrow while Joey leaned in.

"Who the fuck lives there?" Joey wondered, his face just near Joker's ear but he ignored it for the time being and instead clicked on the small picture of the house, enlarging it. He studied the white house with the dingy black trim and two car garage without saying a word, thinking of all the possible people that could be there.

"I don't know," Joker finally said. "Guess I'm going to find out." He memorized the numbers on the house before he pushed the chair away from the desk, exiting the room. He headed upstairs, quickly grabbing a small hand gun, his favorite knife and purple coat before he left the house, slamming the door shut behind him.

He sped down the Gotham streets, staring blankly out of the windshield. The faster he drove, it seemed, the more worried he couldn't help but be. He tapped his fingers on his leg anxiously as he thought of every bad possible image that could have happened to Willow. Now that he wasn't near Joey all the true emotions he felt over the matter were starting to show, and he no longer had to hide the fact that yes, he _was_ worried. Who ever lived at this house was surely going to regret leading Willow away from him...

Twenty long minutes went past until finally Joker turned his Tahoe onto Jay Street. He slowly drove by all the houses that looked alike until he came to the last house in the row: 5565 Jay Street. Breathing in deeply and quickly through his nose he drove the car around the row of houses, turning onto an adjacent street to park the car on the side of the house. With a small black picket fence as the backyard's only barrier, he quickly pulled the keys from the ignition and opened the car door. He didn't bother to see if anybody was around as he crept up the small grass hill to the fence. He easily hopped over it and headed straight to the glass backdoor.

Jonathan had just sat down in his chair next to Willow, ready to take a few more observations. A good hour had gone by since giving her the shot, and it seemed it had barely worked. Willow was still jumpy and laid motionless, however she could finally open her eyes all the way.

"Now that the drug has started to fade from the body, subject seems a little more alert, though still jumpy and not capable of much movement."

"Jonathan...?" Willow mumbled in a small voice as she stared at him. "Wha-?"

Jonathan set down the recorder as he leaned over to Willow, ready to see if her memory had been wiped of the experience. "Hey," he said in a false, happy and near clueless tone of voice.

Joker followed the very familiar sounding voice up the stairs, and he crept up them stealthily, anticipating what he would find. He clenched his fingers in a tight fist before he releasing them, and he waggled them all about, preparing himself. Inside the room just near the top of the stairs he heard Willow's small voice, the tone telling him all was not right.

Jonathan smiled as he looked down at Willow and he grabbed her hand. "How are you feeling?"

Joker paused just before the door, listening, finally clarifying who was in the room. He closed his eyes tightly and clenched his teeth down as he listened further. He should have known...

"What happened?" Willow went on to ask.

"You fell down," Jonathan lied. "Right down the stairs," he added with a laugh. But Willow frowned as she shook her head.

"No," she said, barely comprehending anything, but she was almost positive Jon had just lied to her. "Joker was here," she went on. "H-he..." she looked away as she closed her eyes. "He tried to kill me..."

Jonathan's eyes narrowed as he stared at her, his lips thin as he breathed deeply though his nose. _Oh, Robert_... he thought in his mind. _Can never follow a simple recipe... _Much to his displeasure, the more the drug wore off the more Willow was able to remember what had happened. This was not the after affect he had wanted. Without a word he stood from his chair, a headache starting to form. With a deep sigh he turned towards the door, deciding it time to go call Spade and tell him the news and what he was to do next. However, just as he stepped though the frame of the door, Joker lunged forward, quickly clenching his fingers around Jonathan's scrawny neck. With wide eyes Jonathan stared at Joker, completely thrown off as he gasped for air. Joker kept his teeth clenched and his eyes focused solely on Jon's, suddenly at a loss for words. He felt _furious_ suddenly, furious that Jonathan had obviously done something to Willow.

"Well, well," Joker said finally in a clowny voice as he tried to stay calm. "What do we. Have. Here?"

Jonathan continued to gasp for breath as Joker squeezed his neck tighter, his face going purple. Without warning Joker suddenly slammed Jon against the wall, and he held him there by his neck, Jon desperately trying to push him away but he was took weak as dizziness overcame him. Joker leaned in close to Jonathan and he tilted his head up slightly as he continued to look into his blue eyes

"I'm going to go in that room," Joker started in a raspy voice. "And if I find _anything_ wrong with Willow, I will make sure you _die_ for it."

Jon's eyes widened and he started to shake his head, trying to speak, but Joker ignored this and instead pulled him along with him as he stepped foot into the room. Willow immediately screamed the loudest scream Joker had ever heard as she quickly tensed up upon seeing him. She closed her eyes and tried to get off the cot, only to start shaking uncontrollably and freeze where she laid in fear. Joker's eyebrows met in the middle as he wondered what the _fuck_ had caused her to do that. On the desk he saw a syringe, the cap off, in front of a recorder and some sort of a chart on a clip board. He immediately pushed Jonathan to the wall, letting go of his neck and pushed hard on his bony shoulders.

"Running your little experiments, Dr. Crane?" Joker asked with a grin. "I'm a fan of science myself, but let me tell you, you've picked the _wrong_ test subject." He grabbed two hand fulls of Jonathan's dress shirt and he pulled him away from wall before he stepped out of the room, and with a hard shove Jonathan went toppling backwards down the small flight of stairs, hitting his head on the wall a few feet from them. Joker didn't bother to go after him to see what the outcome of Jonathan's fall was, and instead he headed straight for Willow. She closed her eyes tightly again as she let out a yelp, her body tense as Joker reached out.

"Willow," he said calmly as he placed his hands on her shoulders, only for her to scream.

"_No! _Get away!"

Joker's eyebrows met in the middle again as he wondered what Jonathan had done to her specifically. "Willow I'm not trying to hurt you, dammit!" He yelled, annoyed with how badly she was resisting him. Not having the time, he quickly pulled her up, forcing her on her feet. She wobbled, barely unable to stand, but she continued to struggle against, crying out 'no!' over and over again. It was silent downstairs, leading Joker to believe Jonathan had temporarily been knocked out, which gave him just a little bit of time to try and get Willow to cooperate.

"Willow," Joker said her name again as a tear slid down her cheek.

"Please don't kill me," she sobbed.

"I'm not going to kill you," Joker said loudly. Without thinking he quickly placed his thumb under her chin and he titled her head up, instantly bringing his lips down on hers. Her body tensed but she held still. She continued to feel dizzy but even more confused as ever. Joker had just been trying to kill her however long ago, now here he was kissing her? He pulled away just as quickly as he had kissed her, and he studied her face. Her lips still parted. Willow looked at him with teary eyes. Without a word Joker grabbed her wrist and tugged her along with him out of the room. He could feel how unsteady she was, and not wanting to waste any time he picked her up and threw her over his shoulder before he descended the stairs. Jonathan had crawled into the kitchen, big bruises on his neck and he opened a drawer, reaching in slowly for a knife.

Without panic Joker set Willow down at the foot of the stairs. "Wait here lovey, okay?" He said as he bent down to her level, his hands rested heavily on her shoulders. He looked into her glazed green eyes, and much to his pleasure she nodded with a sniffle, though she still felt frightened. Like a confused child, Willow watched as Joker stormed into the kitchen, and she let out a terrified yell as Joker picked up Jonathan by his shirt. He hoisted him onto his feet, the steak knife falling from Jonathan's hand as Joker forced his head onto the counter. He pushed down on one side of it while the other was against the cool wood, Jonathan starting to go into a panic as he struggled to lean up. Where was Spade when he needed him?

"I don't have much to say to you," Joker hissed as he leaned in towards Jonathan's squished face. "I don't know if I should call you _brave _or _stupid_ for messing with _my _girl. What do you think?"

Jonathan opened his mouth to talk but Joker didn't give him a chance to answer, and instead forced him up again. He turned to the wall opposite of the fridge and bashed his head, nose first, into the wall, and he let him fall onto his back, blood going everywhere. It pained him to hear Willow scream at this but he had no time to pay attention to it. Right now all he wanted to do was put Jonathan in as much pain as he possibly could to assure both himself and Jonathan that this sort of thing was not going to happen again.

His glasses laid broken on the floor as Jonathan panted, spitting out blood from his mouth, his nose completely numb. He tried to turn on to his stomach but a swift kick in his ribs only caused him to roll onto his side and clench into a ball. With gritted teeth Joker kicked him once in the back of his head, watching as blood splattered onto the floor in front of Jonathan before he picked up him again. A few feet away from and directly in front of Willow, Joker lifted his foot and placed it on Jonathan's lower back and pushed, forcing him onto his knees directly in front of him. Joker placed his gloved and bloodied hands on either side of Jonathan's head, gripping tightly.

"I'm gonna enjoy this _just _as much as you," Joker said with a slight laugh. "In fact, I do believe I'm doing you a favor..." The sound of Jonathan's neck cracking seemed to echo though the house, and his limp body fell in front of Joker. Breathing as though he had just ran a marathon he leaned up to his full height, his eyes resting on a very terrified looking Willow as she leaned against the wall by the stairs. With a large frown he stepped on Jonathan's back as he headed towards Willow, and he came to stand in front of her. He placed his hands on either side of her face, and he wiped a tear away with his thumb, leaving a faint blood trail under her eye. Her body was tense as she shook, and she tried hard to speak, but all that came out were quiet squeaking noises.

"What... h-happened?" Willow finally said in a shaking voice, and she finally raised her eyes to stare at Joker. He appeared just how he did to her before, his make-up so sloppily done and his hair as wild as ever. "Why did you try to... k-kill m-"

"I didn't, Willow," Joker said as he pushed a strand of hair away from her face and behind her ear. "Jonathan drugged you," he went on to say in a quiet voice. More tears burned from behind her eyes and they spilled onto her cheeks, and without even thinking she lurched forward, burying her face in his chest as she clenched on the sleeves of his purple coat, sobbing. Instantly Joker wrapped his arms around her tighter than he ever had, and he lowered his head, resting his forehead on the top of her head. Finally he realized how sick he was of having all these bad things happen to Willow. He couldn't deny it: every time he saw her in some sort of pain not caused by him it made him angry and upset, and he found himself constantly blaming himself with it. Hugging her so tightly, however, seemed to help ease his anger over himself and the situation, and he couldn't help but be relieved that she was okay and finally so close to him again.

The minutes lingered on as he continued to hold her, staring at the bottom step, until finally he loosened his arms. He placed his hands on her shoulders and gently brought her off of him. Willow wiped her eyes with her hands, smearing the blood underneath as she sniffled, still not able to understand why Joker was suddenly being so nice after trying to hurt her, and she wondered why he continued to deny it She knew what she saw.

"Can you tell me what happened?" Joker asked in a low and gentle voice as he looked down into her pained eyes. Willow tried hard to think, her head starting to pound in pain.

"I-I saw him at the club," she said, absentmindedly looking to his body that lay motionless on the floor just beyond Joker. She swallowed, feeling sick as she looked at it, and she jumped when Joker gently turned her head back up to look at him. "A-and he wanted me to go back to his house, to talk..."

Joker was frowning all the while he was listening. "And that's why we don't go with strangers," he said, speaking to her as if she was child, when in this instance, it seemed like she was.

"I know," she whined. "And then you came and tried to-"

"Willow it wasn't _me_," Joker stressed again. "Jonathan drugged you with some sort of hallucinogen. You only _hallucinated_ that. I was not there, and I did not try to kill you. What purpose do I have with killing you-" Joker stopped short, feeling stupid over what he had just said. Had they really gotten that far? Had things gotten to a point where Joker really, seriously had no need to kill her anymore? Perhaps _distraction_ had not been the correct label...

Willow continued to stare at him with parted lips, feeling light-headed as she processed what Joker had just said. She couldn't help but believe him, the further she thought about it and the more the drug wore off the more sense it started to make. She swallowed the lump in her throat and looked down, unsure of what to say.

"Okay, here's what we're going to do," Joker started. "I'm going to look around for a second, and I need you to wait _right_ over..." he slowly guided her along with him and he sat her down gently on the couch near the closed front door. "_Here_. Okay?" He had a feeling that looking around Jonathan's house quickly would prove to be a good idea and beneficial. There was no need to leave important things wasted when he knew he could use them to his advantage.

Willow nodded as her eyes fell to Jonathan's dead body again. She had mixed feelings over the situation, but the vibrant picture of Joker killing him would not leave her mind. Frowning still, Joker leaned away from the couch, picking up a blanket that was tossed lazily on the loveseat adjacent of the couch. He headed over to Jonathan and placed the blanket over him completely, hiding it from sight of Willow. Not bothering to look back at her and slightly agitated with himself for doing that act of kindness. he headed back upstairs to the room Jonathan had been keeping Willow in. On the couch Willow rubbed her hands along her cold arms, looking away from the blue blanket on the ground as she tried to deal with all that was happening.

Upstairs. Joker pocketed Jonathan's recorder and went through the few drawers on the desk. Finding nothing of interest, he walked out of the room, and after looking inside the bathroom, he opened up the last door upstairs that appeared to be Jonathan's bedroom. He stepped inside the tiny room, furnished with nothing more than a bed, small TV, dresser and desk, and he started to go through everything he could. Located inside the desk he found a paper with a list of names in a vertical column, a job title listed next to it. He arched an eyebrow before he placed that in his coat pocket as well. He continued to poke around until he noticed a few transparent blue bottles on the dresser. The labels both read 'Fear Medication Trials' one label reading 'mild dosage' the other 'full dosage'. He smirked at them before he placed both bottles in his pocket, deciding the room was clear enough to finally leave.

Downstairs Willow was still slightly shaking on the couch, and he headed right over to her. "Ready to go, kiddo?" He asked in his normal voice as he helped her up. Willow didn't say anything and instead walked ahead of Joker as he led her towards the open back door just beyond the kitchen. She stepped into the cool air outside, goosebumps instantly rising on her skin while Joker quickly grabbed her keys he had recognized off of the table, and he continued to lead her towards the fence. He climbed over it himself before he easily lifted Willow over it, leading her along towards the Tahoe. He opened the door for her, waiting for her to climb inside as he pocketed the Audi keys, figuring he'd come back with Joey later to retrieve the car. Once safely inside, Joker quickly rounded the truck and got inside himself, finally out of view behind the tinted windows. He glanced over to Willow, who was silently staring blankly out the window. He finally started the car and pulled away from the curb.

–

"Where was she?" Joey was quick to ask right when Joker and Willow got in the front door. He watched as Joker helped her inside, Willow in front of him while he held on to either of her arms behind her to help keep her steady. Her legs wobbled and she stumbled inside, her hair falling into her tear streaked face, sticking to her cheeks. The house smelled and looked so familiar, luckily causing her to calm done some.

"Apparently," Joker started as he continued to pant slightly. Joey noticed all the blood stains on Joker's gloves that had been passed on to Willow's arms. "Mister _Jonathan Crane_ thought it would be a good idea to test his new _product_ on her."

"_What_?" Joey's face squinted in confusion as the pair walked past him, Joker closing the door with his foot. He turned his body and watched as Joker reached into his pocket, grabbing one of the bottles, and he tossed it to Joey before he continued towards the sliding glass door just beyond the table. Joker grabbed a pack of cigarettes off the breakfast bar along with a lighter and opened the door for Willow, letting her step out slowly ahead of him.

"How are you feeling doll?" Joker asked as he sat her down on a chair next to the door.

"I don't know..." Willow trailed off as she stared out into the forest just beyond the deck. Joker pulled out a cigarette from the pack before placing it on the deck's railing, and he placed it in between Willow's lips.

"Here," he said. "Smoke this." He held the lighter up, lighting the cigarette, Willow sucking in as he did so, Joker somewhat relieved to see she was starting to be capable of doing things and recognizing gestures for what they really were. Willow reached up and took the cigarette from her mouth, shakily exhaling the smoke, though already she started to feel more relaxed the further she was assisted. She didn't say anything and sunk further into the chair as she looked through the wooden bars of the railing. Joker headed back inside and stopped at the counter while Joey joined him the kitchen. He had been watching Joker the entire time, but knew it best not to say anything about him lighting her cigarette and seemingly being so kind. Joker slid the door shut before he sighed, turning to Joey as he leaned over the breakfast bar, Joey leaning on the counter opposite of it.

"Her car is still there," Joker said as he looked up to Joey. "We need to go get it tonight."

"What happened?" Joey asked. "What are these?" He held up the bottle as he looked to his friend, waiting for an answer.

"Jonathan drugged her with those most likely," he said as he loosely pointed to the bottle. "Which caused her to hallucinate that I was going to kill her."

"Damn," Joey said as put the bottle down. "Crazy shit. She gonna be okay?"

"Yeah," Joker said as he looked out of the glass door, watching the cigarette burn as she held it between her fingers, her arm hanging from the arm of the chair. He assumed she had only taken one drag from it. "It's starting to ware off."

"Did you kill him?" Joey asked finally.

"Of course," Joker said, rather offended by that question as he looked back to his friend with a large scowl. "No Joey I gave him a _warning_. I told him he had one more chance. What the _fuck_ do _you _think?" Joker glared at him with a frown, his response causing Joey to grin. He placed the bottle on the counter before he started around it. It was so tempting to comment on Joker's behavior, but Joey knew better than to say anything, and instead asked, "when are we getting the car?"

"Tonight." Joker didn't bother looking at him and instead continued to lean against the counter, his fingers linked together in front of him, his elbows on the bar. Joey turned around and headed upstairs, leaving the house perfectly silent.

a/n: thanks for all the reviews guys! please please pleasee keep it up! i'd like to give some credit to gool ol' queenofmean for helping me get outta my my writers block, and for coming up with the big ideas in this chapter. :) hope you enjoyed it, lemme know what ya thought!


	15. A New Side To Things

After clearing his gloves of blood and checking for any traces on his coat, pants and shirt, and after setting Willow up in the living room with the TV on Animal Planet, Joker headed upstairs to join Joey in his bedroom. The door slightly ajar, Joker pushed it open gently with his foot, peering inside before he took a step inside. Joey was in his bathroom, his back to Joker.

"I figured when we go back to Jon- what the _fuck_ are you doing?" Joker stopped short as he stood before the archway that led into Joey's bathroom. He wasn't sure how he hadn't noticed it before, but his friend stood before him with what appeared to be a thin layer of shaving cream on his head, and a razor in his hand. He turned around with a large scowl on his face.

"Man why don't you ever fucking knock?" He scolded. "What's it look like I'm doing! I'm shaving my damn head!"

Joker was at a loss for words, and he stood there, dumbfounded, his jaw hanging slack. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry at this. "Y-you, _shave_ your head, Joseph?"

"Yes _Jack_. I do. You _know_ that, what the fuck?"

"Yeah but I've never seen you do it!" Joker said back, unable to help but feel slightly weird about it. It felt as though there were little ants crawling on the back of his neck, and as if there really were he reached his hand to touch the back of it. "Joey you look-"

"Look what?" Joey asked in a loud voice as he leaned all his weight onto his right foot, and he held his arms out, razor still in hand as he raised his eyebrows. A small grin eased its way onto Joker's lips as his eyes slid onto the razor before he looked up to the shaving cream on his head, one razor-sized line going down directly in the middle.

"Stupid," Joker finally answered. Joey rolled his eyes as he finally turned around to look back into the mirror.

"And you look like a ray of sunshine yourself," he grumbled as he ran the razor up his head again. Joker shook his head as he we watched his friend concentrate as he stared into the mirror, until finally he stepped into his bathroom to lean against the counter. "Is there any particular reason you're in here, Jack?"

"There is, actually," Joker said as he reached into his coat pocket to draw out Jonathan's recorder. He pushed the rewind button and glanced up at Joey who was looking at him through the mirror, waiting to hear what was on the recorder. Once it finished, his pressed his thumb to the play button. After a short moment of silence, Jonathan's voice picked up.

"_Here I will be documenting the subject for as long as she is under the influence of my newest creation in capsule pill form. Subject is currently, and quiet humorously, crouched in the corner of the house, trying to get away from her hallucinating images, which in this case appears to be the Joker trying to kill her. Subject has been induced for nearly an hour now, with no sign of the affects of the drug withdrawing from the body. I'm going to leave the subject alone for a while and observe what happens."_ There was a pause here, in which Joker took the time to look over at Joey his his eyebrows raised and a frown on his lips. Joey returned the look, and looked back to the recorder as Jonathan started to speak.

"_Just about five hours has passed since undergoing the drug. Subject is passed out on the floor now, she toppled over right in the middle of a scream. If this medication has been done correctly, subject should wake up in a matter of hours with no memory whatsoever of this occurrence._"

"This dude is sick. Maybe sicker than you," Joey commented as he turned back to the mirror to run the razor over the side of his head again. Joker smiled as he laughed slightly.

"_No one _is sicker than me, Joey," Joker said. "I pride myself on that." He quickly stopped talking as Jonathan's low and professional voice picked up yet again.

"_Subject appears to be in a state of semi-consciousness with difficulty breathing correctly. Eyes are bloodshot and sagging, mouth is dry... the skin is pale, clammy and cold, with an overall body temperature of about ninety-five degrees._" There was a short pause here before the recorder continued on. "_Subject seems to still be experiencing mild hallucinations and reacts heavily to any sort of rapid movement. Sweat has not receded from the back of the neck or forehead. The time is now eleven in the morning, subject has been under the influence for just over twelve hours now._"

"He says 'subject' funny," Joey spoke up as he rinsed his razor in the sink before starting on the opposite side of his head. "_Suuuub-ject!_" He mimicked in a low voice, enunciating the word clearly. Joker grinned as he shook his head, waiting for the rest of the recorder to play.

"_Now that the drug has started to fade from the body, subject seems a little more alert, though still jumpy and not capable of much movement-_" In the background Willow's small and unsteady voice was heard before the recorder stopped and the play button popped back up.

"That pill sounds trippy, dude," Joey said as he finally finished with the last bit of shaving. Joker set down the recorder on the counter before he reached back into his pocket to draw out that piece of paper with the names on it. "I kinda wanna try it..."

"You would, Joey," Joker said with a sigh as he looked over all the names on the paper before he flipped it over quickly. "_Hmm_," he said to himself as his eyes fell on an address sloppily written in red ink. Joey leaned over the sink now, placing the top of his head in the line of running water as he used his hand to rinse off anything in the back. Joker placed the paper back into his pocket before he leaned off the counter.

"Better go see how the _subject_ is doing," Joker said with a sigh as he rotated his neck around, cracking his twice.

"Man don't even act like your bothered by it," Joey said passively. Joker stopped and turned to him as he raised his eyebrows, glaring at his friend with narrowed eyes. Joey placed a red towel on his head, drying it before he tossed it into a basket near the arch of the bathroom. "Mr. Gentleman, all helping her inside, lighting her cigarette, feeling sorry for her and-"

"Are you saying you wouldn't be doing the same?" Joker asked back with a hint of hostility in his voice.

"I would," Joey said. "All I'm saying is naturally _you_ wouldn't. The Jack I know would have left her on the door step to get inside herself, or would have just left her with that creep if anything... Just sayin'."

"_Just sayin'_," Joker repeated in a higher tone, and he rolled his eyes before he turned around. Just as he started to forget how _stupid_ he was acting with Willow, Joey was always right there to remind him that perhaps Joker was wrong with labeling Willow as a distraction.

Joker made his way down the stairs and he headed towards the living room, where Willow was in the same position on the couch, her legs loosely in front of her, feet flat on the floor, and her arms folded over her stomach. However, she turned her head when she heard someone coming, and she looked up at Joker as he approached.

"How ya doin' subject?" He asked. Willow stared at him further, feeling to drained to comprehend the joke or even know what he was talking about when he called her 'subject'. She shrugged as she turned back to the TV.

"Fine, I guess," she said in a quiet voice just above a whisper. Joker sighed as he continued to look at her, and he ran his bare hand through his hair, debating his next move. Most of him wanted to try and assist her assist her further so he could rid himself of the weird feeling he had when he looked at her suffering mind and body. However, a much smaller portion of him was _screaming_ at himself, stressing that he should turn away and forget it. She was back now, safe, and he finally had the opportunity to doing something by himself, free of Willow. But he had a hard time listening to the voice, deciding that right now he _wanted _to be distracted.

Willow continued to stare at the TV, feeling Joker watching her. She no longer felt dizzy or too confused, but she felt weak and tired, and was still a little thrown off over everything. How could she have been only hallucinating? The image of Joker with that knife seemed ridiculously real, and in her mind it made sense he'd try to kill her, especially now, with how he had been acting towards her. With an image of a gross leech coming onto the screen Willow turned her head to look back up at Joker. "Why did you try to kill me?"

Joker's instant reaction was to growl loudly as he rolled his eyes to the ceiling. But with as he took a deep breath in through his nose to calm his nerves, he reminded himself Willow was still obviously not in the right state of mind, and barely able to comprehend anything more than a kindergartner would understand. "It wasn't me, Willow," Joker said as he sat down on the end of the couch next to her. "You _hallucinated _that. Do you know what that word means?" He widened his eyes and raised his eyebrows as he titled his head down to look at her.

"Yes, but-"

"It wasn't me, it was Crane. He _drugged _you. With little pills that apparently make you see your worst fear..." he trailed off as everything seemed to come at him at once. Was he really Willow's biggest fear?

"But..." Willow started. "I'm not scared of you, I-"

"Obviously," Joker interrupted as he brought his head back up, and he leaned on the arm of the couch.

"Why did he?" Willow asked, her words slurring slightly. "I thought he liked me."

"Because he's a creep, Willow," Joker said. "He didn't like you. You were just his lab rat."

"I'm not rat," Willow said sadly as she looked down, and she jumped with the sound of Joker's loud, obnoxious laughter. He closed his mouth and tried to stop laughing as his body bounced, his eyes squinted. He opened his mouth to speak, but only more laughter escaped.

"His _test_ _subject, _dear," Joker finally forced the words out, giggling slightly. He noticed the pout on Willow's childlike face, and he stood up from the couch. "C'mon, subject," he said as he grabbed her wrists. "Let's go shower."

"Why do you keep calling me that?" Willow asked as she allowed Joker to hoist her up and turn her body to exit the living room.

"It's what Jonathan called you," Joker said. "Because you were his _lab rat_."

"Stop," Willow whined as Joker lead her towards the stairs, cackling behind her. It was just to easy at this point, and he couldn't help himself. Besides, he needed to do _something_ to keep him the right state of mind while he actually _helped_ someone. If he didn't make jokes, he simply wouldn't feel like himself.

He assisted Willow up the stairs and started to the bathroom just as Joey walked out of his room. He stopped and watched Joker as they headed to the bathroom, Willow staring at Joey.

"She thinks she's a rat," Joker said. "But don't say anything because it upsets her." He laughed again as he looked at Joey, who merely rolled his eyes with a grunt.

"You're an asshole," he said before he walked past the pair to head downstairs, his head smooth and shiny. Joker let out a final laugh as they entered the bathroom, and he flipped on the light, closing the door behind him. He left Willow to stand in the middle of the room while he started the shower. She blankly stared at the water as it hit the bottom of the tub, and she jumped when she felt Joker's hands on her hips as he turned her around.

"Why are you helping me?" Willow inquired as Joker loosened her shirt around her waist. "You hate me."

"I don't _hate_ you," he said as he watched his hands slide up her body as he removed her shirt for her.

"I'm just a _distraction_," she complained as he looked away from him. Joker frowned as he stared at her neck. He licked his lips slowly as he felt his throat to swell, his body trying desperately to stop him from saying what he was about to tell her.

"I don't know why I said that." His voice was raspy and low, and he cleared his throat as Willow looked back up to him. _Of course she understands all this_, he thought sourly in his head. "Distraction wasn't the right... word."

"What is then?" She asked with a large frown as she looked into his eyes, hoping desperately he'd label her as something more and better than a distraction.

"I don't know," Joker finally said, and Willow sadly looked down. "But I can tell you," Joker started as he placed his finger on her chin, forcing her to look back up at him. "It goes beyond a distraction."

A small smile crept onto Willow's face as she shyly looked away. "So, you didn't try to kill me?" She confirmed for the hundredth time as she slowly looked back up at him.

"No," he answered patiently. He placed his hands back on her hips and leaned, planting a kiss on her chapped lips before he pulled away. "Think you can finish up by yourself?"

Willow nodded as she backed up slightly, and she stared at the floor. Joker watched her for a moment longer before he finally turned to leave the room, and he closed the door behind him.

Joker vowed it was the last act of kindness and help he would offer Willow after he had settled her into bed later that night. After her shower she seemed to finally be doing much better. She had gone out for her own cigarette and seemed to finally understand that it really wasn't Joker that had tried to kill her, and she was finally aware of all the help and attention he was oddly giving her. With the time nearing nine at night, Joker had brought Willow upstairs, instructing her to go to sleep. He assured her he'd be back shortly, and that yes, he'd wake her up to let her know he was back. He shut the light off in the guestroom and closed the door before he started down the stairs, two at a time.

"Ready?" He asked as he met Joey at the door, who was busy placing his gun in a holster on his black belt.

"I guess so," he answered as he popped his knuckles. "What car we taking?"

"Yours," Joker answered. Joey grumbled as he grabbed his keys, and he and Joker made their way to his Camaro that sat on the driveway.

"So where we going?" Joey asked after he had just turned out of the neighborhood.

"Jay Street. It's the first road on the right off Main." Joker looked out of the window from where he sat in the passenger seat, watching as the black figures of trees passed by.

"She seems to be doing better," Joey commented in a low voice as he switched hands on the wheel. He glanced over to Joker, but he remained silent, which signaled to Joey he didn't want to talk about it. He raised his eyebrows and lowered them as he took a deep breath in, and he looked back to the road. "Ooookay than."

After the ride over, the twenty minutes seeming a lot quicker, Joey parked his car in front of the house, and he scowled at it as he looked through Joker's window, taking in the chipping paint and closed, black curtains in the window. "Nice place..." he commented sarcastically. "It's barely a step up from your apartment."

Joker slowly turned his head to Joey and he raised his eyebrows as he looked at him through the darkness. "House pickin's are slim when you're a wanted fugitive. Are _you_ a wanted fugitive, Joseph?" Joey remained silent which caused Joker to grin. "Didn't think so. Let's go."

Joey followed Joker as he started to the black picket fence, figuring he'd be able get inside through the back door again. The first thing both men noticed, however, were the lights inside the house were on. Joey reached into his belt to pull out his pistol while Joker followed the action, and he quietly slid open the glass door. Once Joey had stepped inside behind him, Spade, who had been busy with dealing with Jonathan's body, jumped, and he froze when Joker and Joey held the guns up, aiming directly at Spade's head. At a loss for words, Spade's eyes bounced from each barrel before he looked up to Joker. Joker smirked as he took in Spade's muscular appearance and pretty-guy face, regardless of the demonic goatee.

"Looks like we discovered ol' Mister Cranes _lover _perhaps, hmm?" Joker asked with a grin as he glanced at Joey. "I always had a feeling something was up with him... what's the name, pal?"

"S-spade," he answered.

"Spade?" Joker asked as he narrowed his eyes, tilting his head down as he looked slightly to the left. "Is it just you here, or should we wait for Club, Diamond and Heart to show up as well?"

"I-it's a nickname," Spade answered as he continued to try and hold as still as possible, terrified for his life ending with the pull of of Joker's trigger. He definitely had not been expecting such a rude and random entrance, especially when he was trying to get over the shock of finding his boss dead and beaten.

"Ah," Joker said. "You alone?"

"Yeah."

"If you got any weapons on ya I suggest you toss 'em over here, now."

Quickly, Spade reached into his pocket, bringing out an old switchblade, and he tossed to Joker's open hand, palm up. He inspected it before he placed it in his pocket, and he watched as Spade obediently pulled out a small revolver that had been concealed under his shirt. He opened up the cylinder and titled the gun down, letting the bullets that had been inside fall to the ground before he closed it and tossed it to Joker. Joker nodded back to the door as he put his gun away, and he placed Spade's gun in his coat pocket as Joey closed and the locked the screen door.

"Smart man," Joker said as he slowly walked up to Spade, who was still making a point to hold still. With the man slightly taller and much more wider than him, Joker looked over him quickly, smirking to himself over his wild, black hair and goatee. "So how long you two been together?" Joker asked enthusiastically as he circled around him, stepping around the blood stains on the carpet that hinted where Jonathan's body had once been.

"I'm not gay," Spade said in a much more gruff voice than before with a hint of offense in it. "I was his hired help."

"_Now_ we're talkin'," Joker said as he stopped in front of him. "How long you've been in the business, Spade?"

"A while," he answered slowly, unable to shake off the ridiculously strong nervous feeling he felt over standing face to face with the Joker, who more than likely was the one who had killed his boss. "About three years."

"Three years," Joker repeated. "Sounds like you're a qualifying, strapping young man, wouldn't you say so, Joey?"

"Sure," he mumbled, wishing Joker would get on with killing the guy so they could be on their way.

"Why'd you kill him?" Spade suddenly spoke up, only to flinch when Joker quickly turned back to him. He started to regret speaking up so demanding and randomly as the Joker glared into his eyes deeply, a large scowl on his face. Spade swallowed as she nervously shifted his weight from his left foot to his right.

"Because, Spade ol' boy," Joker started. "Mister Crane took something that did not belong to him."

"That girl?"

"Ah! Qualified _and_ smart. You got it, bucko. The girl you saw belongs to me, you see, and I don't like my... _items_ being touched or tampered with by no one else but me. Sounds fair, doesn't it?"

Spade slowly nodded his head, watching as Joker paced in front of him. He raised his eyes to Joey, who was leaning against the counter, idly tapping the barrel of his gun against his leg as he stared at the floor, obviously bored. Spade swallowed again as he looked back the clown, wondering anxiously when Joker was going to suddenly up and kill him.

"So what else could I have done? Ol' Crane here had it coming since the day he met her in Arkham. So, _Spade_," Joker pronounced his name heavily. "Perhaps you can uh, help us out here. First order of business: what did you do with Crane?"

"I-I put him outside," he said. "In a trash bag."

Joker frowned at this, though he knew it was expected. "We'll take care of that later," he said blandly. "But now with Crane out of the picture, I feel as though we've stepped into a very _fortunate_ opportunity here, don't you agree, _Joseph_?"

Joey rolled his eyes as he looked up to his friend. "_Please_ elaborate," he said sarcastically. "What ever gets us outta here faster..." he then added in a mumble.

"It seems as though Crane was starting to come out with a new line of _product_, am I correct?" Joker looked over to Spade, who nodded once before he looked down the floor. "And I think it would be a big mistake if we were to uh... let all his efforts go to waste."

"What did you have in mind?" Joey had to ask as he looked back to Joker, an eyebrow raised as he crossed his arms.

"Not sure yet, the possibilities are endless," Joker said happily, and he reached into his pocket with his gloved hand. "Perhaps, _Spade, _you can tell me what _this_ is," Joker handed him the folded piece of paper, and he watched patiently as he unfolded it. He nervously looked to Joker, who nodded at him, before he read over the paper.

"These are all people who were helping to develop Jon's drug," Spade said. "They all worked at a warehouse downtown a little bit."

"Is that the address on the back?" Joker inquired. Spade nodded after he turned the paper over, and he handed the paper back to Joker, who placed it into his pocket.

"Perfect," he said. "Okay here's the plan, I want you to go bring me _anything_ you deem as important," Joker said to Spade, who nodded with a nervous swallow. "And if you try any tricks on me, I'll kill you faster than you can say ''_ta-da!' _got it?" Again Spade nervously nodded before he started up the stairs quickly. "And Mister Wallace? You're going to help me search down here."

Joey growled as he lazily leaned off the counter, and he stood by the door as he watched Joker start downstairs to the second living room. With a grunt he turned around and started to open up the drawers, not really looking as he went all about the kitchen, his eyes barely noticing anything in them. A loud explosion of laughter from Joker a few minutes later, however, caused him to jump, and he turned around just in enough time to watch as Joker headed back up the stairs, holding what appeared to be Jonathan Crane's mask.

"Can you believe this guy?" Joker laughed as he held the very top of the scarecrow mask between his fingers, holding it away from himself as if it was infected with parasites. "A _mask_. Who the hell wears a _mask_ to be scary?"

Joey grinned as he walked up to Joker, and he snatched the itchy-feeling mask away from him to get a better look himself. He finally let out a laugh as he shook his head, his eyes squinted. "Man this shit is _ugly... _I think it's uglier than your face, Jack."

"Whatchya think the face paint's for, _Joseph_?" Joker shot back to him as he licked his lips quickly. "Why don't you do us _all_ a favor and put that on for yourself?"

"Fuck you," Joey said as he threw it back to Joker, who laughed slightly as he caught it. Both men turned to face the stairs at the same time, finally noticing Spade standing there with a frown on his face. Did they have to be so disrespectful over Jonathan's mask?

"U-um," he stammered as he stepped forward. "I f-found this." He handed Joker what appeared to be some sort of diary, the small book wrapped in a thin, black leather binding. Joker opened to the first page, the words '_property of Jonathan Crane_' written in the middle of the first page, the rest blank. Joker let out a short snort of laughter as he shook his head.

"Told ya he was a fag," Joker said as he quickly glanced to Joey. "Fifty bucks says the next page starts with '_dear diary_.' He turned the page, scowling as Joey leaned over to look over his shoulder, and Joker jumped slightly when Joey yelled out over his good fortune.

"Looks like you owe me fifty bucks," Joey said with a grin. Joker ignored him, however, and quickly looked over what was written on the first page.

"_June 8__th__, 2011._

_ That day marked the eighth month in Arkham, and also the day I started conversing with Ms. Willow Fox."_

Joker raised an eyebrow as he skipped down to the bottom of the page, an eyebrow cocked.

"_Each day I looked forward to talking to her, or just seeing her. Even in the same attire she didn't look anything like the other women of Arkham. Her hair was constantly messy and greasy and tangled, her eyes bright red and blood shot, she looked physically ill. But yet so beautiful."_

Joker let out another snort of laughter as he shook his head, though deep down he couldn't help but feel a rumble of anger over Jonathan's apparent mild obsession over _his_ dear, little Willow. Unfortunately there wasn't much more he could do about it to sooth that anger. All he could do was act as though nothing was bothering him at that point. He closed the diary and placed the small booklet into his pocket that was full of other random objects.

"Well done, Spades," Joker said with a grin. He clapped his hands together. "I think we're just about through here. Spades, I've come to the odd conclusion that for some reason or another, I _don't_ want to kill you." The already menacing vibe in the house seemed to change with Joker's words, and while Spade let out a small sigh of relief, Joey looked over to his friend, dumbfounded. "You're working for _me_ now, Spades," Joker went on, using his own variation of his nickname. "And your first order of business is to get rid of Jonathan's body completely. I'll uh, let you figure out how to do that. I'm going to call you later tonight to make sure you did. Gimme the number."

Joker took out his phone, and he dialed the number Spade told him. He hit the green talk button, waiting, and once he heard a phone in Spade's pocket ringing, he hung up, placing his cellphone back into his pants pocket, satisfied.

"Do this simple little task, and I'll let you keep your life for another day," Joker said. "We clear?" Once spade nodded, Joker grinned with a nod of his own. "Right, now go take care of business."

Spade immediately headed out of the sliding glass doors into the darkness of the backyard, and Joker and Joey watched as he easily carried in a large, somewhat stinky garbage bag. Joey wanted with a frown while Joker turned around with a sigh, bored with the sight. They listened as the garage door opened, a truck starting shortly after, and the listened as he started down the road.

"Guess that's our cue," Joker said to Joey as he pulled out the Audi keys from his pants pocket opposite of his phone. With a sigh of relief Joey followed Joker downstairs and into the garage, instantly heading to his car while Joker unlocked the Audi, honestly a little eager to get home and check on Willow, and read more of Jonathan Crane's diary.

–

"So remind me why we have to get rid of Jonathan's body?"

"We don't," Joker answered his friend as they stepped through the door. "It's a test you see, to see if Spades is worth letting into our operation."

Joey rolled his eyes as he headed towards the kitchen while Joker on the other hand headed up stairs as he removed his purple gloves.

The lights from the tanks dimly lit the room enough for Joker to make out the sleeping figure of Willow, her back to him as her body rose and fell with each gentle breath. He set his gloves down on the end table on his side of the bed before he placed his phone by them, and he hung his coat in the closet. After stripping down to his boxers, he pulled the blankets back and got into the bed, immediately disturbing Willow's sleep. With a deep breath she turned around, her eyes squinted as her sleepy mind processed who was now laying behind her.

"Hi," she said in a faint and raspy tired voice, and Joker grinned at her. "Where'd you go?"

"Crane's," he said. Through the dim light he saw Willow frown, and being that there was nobody else in the room but them, he reached his arm out, snaking it under Willow's back, and he pulled her closer to him.

"Why?" She asked as she settled her body against his.

"Reasons," Joker said as he reached over for his phone. "Don't worry about it."

Willow stared at the the light on the wall caused by Joker's phone, deciding to just drop the subject and enjoy the moment. She listened as Joker pushed a few buttons on the phone from behind her, and she closed her eyes as she settled in even closer to his warm body.

"Spades?" Joker asked once he heard that familiar voice on the other end. "You take care of it? How? Perfect. I want you to go back to the house, and stay there until further instruction tomorrow, got it?"

Willow tried to make out the voice on the other end, wondering desperately who Joker was talking to and what was going on. Without another word Joker was quick to hang up, and he let his phone drop carelessly to the floor behind him before he turned to face the back of Willow's head, his eyes sliding shut. A childish grin appeared on Willow's face when she felt Joker rest his cheek against her head, and she finally forced her eyes shut, trying to ignore the butterflies that scattered around in the pit of her stomach.

–

Willow woke up the following morning feeling more like herself than she felt like she had in a while. Finally nothing around her seemed to be spinning, and she could finally think straight, and because of this her memory was finally clear and no longer fuzzy. She could recall all that had happened to Jonathan, and all th's theat Joker had done to comfort and help her through her unexpected medication. With him in her thoughts now, she turned her head to look at his sleeping figure next to her. His bare back was turned to her, and she watched his body rise and fall gently with his breathing. She wish she knew of someway she could say thank you with out him getting upset, but in such a way that he knew she was being sincere and meant it. Had Joker not rescued her, she perhaps could have been dead already, and if he had not helped her through the commotion of the drug she probably would still be terrified of him.

With a deep and sleep yawn she pushed the covers off of her and eased herself out of bed, surprised to find she has clad in a tank top and shorts. She ran her fingers through her curly and wavy hair as she started towards the gently opening it and closing it as to not wake Joker. She quietly stepped down the stairs and upon turning the corner she noticed Joey sitting at the table, reading the morning paper. He looked up over it and flashed her a wide grin.

"Hey girl. How ya feelin'?"

"A lot better," Willow answered with a small smile, and her heart skipped a beat with excitement when she noticed coffee still remained in the coffee pot.

"You still scared of Jack?"

"No," Willow said with a small laugh as she added creamer to her big mug of steaming hot coffee. She took a big sip, closing her eyes as the tasty liquid ran down her throat, and she headed to the table to join Joey.

"That's good," he said as he turned the page. "Dude did a _lot_ to help you out, ya know. Like, I've never seen Jack be so helpful to _anyone_."

Willow stared at him, unsure of what to say exactly. "I know," she finally spoke up. "I can remember now all that he did, I think."

"Helped you inside, lit you a cigarette, put the TV on for ya, helped you shower, got you in bed, constantly asked how you were feelin'..." Joey trailed off, and Willow couldn't help but grin, her face flushing. At Jonathan's she remembered being so thankful she was in the presence of someone who appreciated her. Apparently all it took was a dose of Jon's drug for her to realize that maybe, in one way or another, Joker did too. "I remember I got stabbed once, and you know what that dick did?" Joey raised his eyebrows as Willow slowly shook her head. "He me a handed me a _paper towel_ when we got home and said '_have fun_.'"

Willow couldn't help but laugh at this, and she looked down to her coffee mug with a smile, Joey studying her reaction.

"Yeah," he said as he shook his head, turning back to the newspaper. "Dude won't admit it, but I know he feels somethin' for ya."

Willow swallowed as she continued to look down, and she quietly took another sip of her coffee. She recalled Joker taking back what he said about her being nothing but a distraction, but now she wondered what he _truly_ considered her. She figured it would a long time until she knew, or she would never know, and she decided to just leave it at that. Actions speak louder than words, and Joker's actions towards her were a lot more relevant than whatever label he threw on their twisted relationship.

After a good ten minutes of sitting at the table with Joey, Willow had finally finished her coffee, and after rinsing her mug and putting it in the dishwasher, she made her way into the living room to watch some TV, deciding it best to still take it easy, for she had no idea if there was any remains of the drug in her system.

Just as she had turned the TV on, the sound of feet dragging against the wood caused Willow to turn her head and for Joey to look up, and they stared at Joker, his make-up smeared into one blob of gray and pink on his face and hair. His had a rather large scowl on his face as he made his way into the kitchen for his own cup of coffee. The tension in the air was thick, and he waited for Joey to make some smart ass comment about his helpfulness towards Willow, or for Willow to suddenly make some lovey-dovey comment. Much to his pleasure and surprise, neither said anything, and when he turned around both of them weren't even looking at him.

It was at the tip of his tongue to ask Willow how she felt that morning, but he swallowed the words back, irritated with himself for even caring and wanting to ask the in the first place. Rather he sat down in the seat Willow had been in, and he stared at the TV show of choice Willow had picked before he rolled his eyes, lifting the mug to his lips.

"You know what I remembered this morning?" Joey asked as he continued to stare at the newspaper. Joker raised his eyeballs to the ceiling.

"_What_?" He growled.

"That time I got stabbed by one of D'Amario's men? And you handed me that paper towel and fucking left? Yeah, remember that?" Joey asked as Joker smiled widely, his eyes squinting shut. His shoulders bounced as he quietly laughed to himself, Joey frowning heavily at him.

"That was a great day," Joker said between his small fit of giggles.

"Yeah, _peachy_," Joey mumbled. "Fuckin' never been stabbed before in my _life_ you and just up and leave me with a piece of paper towel..."

"Don't be such a woman, Joseph," Joker said as he shook his head, trying to stop his laughter. "Being stabbed isn't a big deal. You lived, didn't you?"

"Imma ghost, man," Joey said, and from the couch Willow couldn't help but let out a snort of laughter. In her mind there was nothing better than the conversations between Joker and Joey. Both men looked at her before looking back to each other, Joker staring at him skeptically. "I really bled to death that night."

"If you're ghost," Joker started. "Then why can I do this?" He reached forward and slapped Joey as hard as he could on the back of his head, Willow quickly turning around with wide eyes to watch the drama.

"Damn dude!" Joey yelled as he held his hand on his head.

"Solid as a rock," Joker said as he leaned back with a grin. "Wouldn't you say so, Willow?"

"I guess," she answered easily before she turned back around to watch the wedding show she had picked. Joker grinned proudly at Joey, who glared back at him before he folded the paper and he stood up from the table.

"You left Crane's mask on the stairs last night," Joey started. "'Bout gave me a heart attack when I started up for bed."

"If _that_... cheap... thing... _scared_ you Joey, then I don't think we can be friends..."

"It's not that the mask itself is scary, it's the fact that it was randomly on the stair in front of me... never mind," he sighed a second later from the kitchen. Willow had turned around on the couch again, an eyebrow raised.

"You took his mask?" She asked.

"Yeah," Joker answered as he took a sip from his mug.

"Why?"

"Because it was stupid," he answered.

Willow's eyebrows met in the middle as she stared at him, not quite following his logic. With a frown she turned around again, plopping back onto the cozy cushion. Meanwhile Joey had picked up the blue bottle of pills, and he read over the label.

"Man, I still wanna try this shit."

Joker grinned as he rolled his eyes, and he shook his head at his friends stupidity.

"Why?" Willow asked from the couch. She had turned around yet _again_ and stared with wide eyes at Joey.

"I don't know," Joey said. "Seems fun."

"Fun?" Willow repeated. "It's anything but fun, Joey."

"Yeah, _Joey_," Joker repeated as he titled his head back to grin, upside down, at Joey. Joey shook his head with a groan at Joker's immaturity, Willow fighting hard not to smile. The last thing she needed was to watch someone else go through what she had. It most certainly was not fun. "Listen to Willow. She _knows_ what she's talking about." Joker brought his head back down to finish off the rest of the coffee in his mug.

"With a idiotic brother and _you_ as a friend, I've tried a _lot_ of drugs bro," Joey started. "This'll just be another one added to the list."

"It's your call, dumbass," Joker said as he stood from the table. Willow, however, continued to frown as she stared at Joey.

"Joey _please_ don't," Willow begged. "Please."

"You guys are no fun," Joey said, feeling defeated as he slammed the pills down on the counter. "I'm doing it later. You can both be there or not, I don't care. Either way, I'm gonna trip my _ass_ off on this shit."

Joker rolled his eyes as he placed his mug in the sink, and Willow continued to frown at Joey who stubbornly headed upstairs for a shower.

"Can't you stop him?" Willow asked as Joker stepped over towards the couch. He shook his head.

"Nope," he said. "Hey it's his call. He can do whatever he wants."

"Ugh," Willow complained as she turned around, crossing her arms. "I wish he wouldn't. I just... can't even begin to explain... you're not going to do it, are you?" She quickly asked as she looked back up to Joker. He immediately shook his head.

"Nah," he said. "There's no point." He was sure there was _nothing _in the world that would scare him, therefore those pills would render useless on his mind. He knew it would be much more fun to just watch Joey instead, whose mind was much weaker than his.

"Okay," Willow said, sounding somewhat uncertain. She slowly turned back to the TV for the last time, hoping that Joker wouldn't go back on his word...

–

Much to her misfortune, the day seemed to slip through her fingers and pass by quickly. She spent most of the day in the living room watching TV or outside smoking cigarettes. Joey had busied himself with finding something to do in his office, while Joker had showered, re-applied his face paint and called Spades again. He still didn't tell Willow who he continued to call, and finally she dropped the subject, figuring he'd tell her eventually and that for the time being it wasn't too important.

With the time nearing nine at night, Joey had decided to skip going to the club so he could try Jon's drug. Willow nervously sat on the couch, her knees brought up under her chin as she nervously bit down on her thumb nail. Joker was sitting next to her, his arm behind her on the top of the couch while Joey sat on the matching loveseat. Willow stared at Joey, wishing there was something she could say to stop him, but she knew it was useless.

"Well," Joker started as he brought his arm down, and he fixed the collar of his black, stripped t-shirt. "We're waiting."

"Joey," Willow started again. "Please don-"

"Ah, ah, ah," Joker said, quickly placing his arm around her to pull her closer to him. "Joey's a big boy. He knows right from wrong. And who are we to stop what could turn out to be a _hilarious_ scene?"

"Yeah... thanks Jack..." Joey said as he glared up at Joker, who merely saluted him with a grin. Joey laughed slightly as he looked back down to the bottle, and he twisted off the lid.

"Joey," Willow grumbled as she tried to lean off Joker, but he was quick to clap his hand over her mouth. She let out a whimper of protest as she tried to lean up, but Joker applied pressure on her face and kept her down.

"Chill out, girl," Joey said. "This is only the _mild_ dose. Pretty sure nutso had you on something stronger."

"Well c'mon," Joker said as he nodded once at him. "Let's go!"

"Enough with peer pressure!" Joey said with a wide smile as he poured a single white, small pill onto the palm of his hand.

"It's not peer pressure, it's just your turn," Joker commented back. Joey rolled his eyes with a grin, and much to her dismay she watched as Joey placed the pill in his mouth, and he titled his back as he swallowed it, dry. Finally Joker removed his hand from Willow, allowing her to finally sit up with a large frown and worried eyes.

"Now we wait," Joker said as he placed his ankle on his knee, and leaned back into the couch, keeping his arm around Willow's shoulders. She bit her lip as she watched Joey sit back on the loveseat, and he took in a deep breath as he leaned his head back, feeling somewhat excited.

"How long?" He inquired out loud. Joker looked down to Willow, and she looked back up at him. She rolled her eyes before she looked down, making a point to stare at a spot on the floor. Joker pursed his lips to the side before he looked back up to Joey, who looked relaxed as ever, and he wondered himself when the effects would start to kick in.

Five minutes went by in pure silence. Joey had been in the same position on the couch, his eyes closed, while Willow continued to stare at the floor. Joker had busied himself with idly tapping his fingers on his leg and looking around the living room, noticing random things, such as how the coffee table was crooked, how the shade of brown on the rug did not match the color of couches, how the TV was pushed a little too far to the right on its stand–

"Hey man, I don' think it's workin'..." Joey titled his head up as he stared at Joker, his eyes somewhat droopy. Willow raised her eyes to look over at him, already deciding he was starting to look a little funny. "Maybe you should get tha' mask or summin'."

Joker grinned as he stared at his friend. "You really think that would help, Joseph?" He let out a snort of laughter as he watched his friend nod, his head seeming as though it weight a million pounds, he could barely hold it up. "I don't think you need it," Joker added. "It looks like it starting to work."

"Nah, it's not," Joey said as he closed his eyes, only to slowly open them a second later. His body tingled, colors were vibrant, and noises were louder than usual. In his still barely functioning mind he knew he didn't feel right, but his body would not allow him to say what he was thinking. In all honesty he thought it was a little fun. He wondered what would happen if he tried to walk...

However he came to a complete and sudden stop once his eyes fell to the floor, a freezing cold shock running up his spine. He swallowed nervously as he stared at the small, brown spider that was crawling its way over to his feet. His eyes were wide and his mouth was dry. He opened his mouth to speak, but his throat had swelled to the point where he felt as though he couldn't talk.

Joker had leaned up interested as he watched his friend stare at the bare floor. "Whatchya see there, Joey?" Joker asked enthusiastically . Willow stared at Joey as well now, already feeling more sorry for him than she'd ever be able to express.

"A sp-... spi-..."

"A _spider_?" Joker guessed as he titled his head to the side, a wide grin stuck on his lips. "You better uh... _kill_ it, Joey. Before it gets ya!"

Joey swallowed, and he barely felt himself as he leaned over. He took in a deep breath as he bravely reached out, squishing the spider with his thumb. He slowly lifted his hand back up, and he frowned when he saw the spider on the floor still, alive and well. A short second later, however, he felt a tickling sensation on his thumb, and when he looked over he immediately stood up with a loud shout.

Willow jumped as she looked back up at him, and Joker smiled widely, his mouth open and eyes wide as he watched Joey wildly fling his arm all about as if trying to get something off it. Willow felt herself about to cry as she stared at Joey's distressed and worried face. He breathed heavily as he tried desperately to shake the spider off his hand, but each time he shook, more spiders fell from his hand, scattering all over the floor. He watched, terrified, as these little eight-legged creatures made their way easily up the furniture and onto Willow and Joker. His skin went cold as he watched a spider crawl into Joker's mouth, and he closed his eyes tight as he fell to the floor like a ton of bricks.

"_Fuck_!"

"Joker make him stop!" Willow cried as she leaned back over to him.

"I can't," Joker said calmly as he he watched his friend break down in front of the loveseat. His face was red and it seemed as though he was two seconds away from crying.

"You're not gonna do it are you?" Willow inquired, and she immediately grew impatient when Joker ignored her and instead continued to watch Joey with an eyebrow cocked. "Joker? _Joker_!"

"What?" he asked in his deep voice as he turned his head to her, noticing how upset she looked.

"You're not going to try it, right?"

"I don't know..." Joker said as he started to turn his head away, but he immediately turned back when he felt Willow place her hands on his arm, tugging it.

"No!" She protested. "_Please_ don't." She recalled her experience, and now seeing Joey break down, she honestly did not want to know what Joker would be like on Crane's drug. Whatever Joey was seeing was freaking him out to the point where he could not stop shaking and moving about, trying desperately to get off the floor as he panted. Joker continued to watch Joey, unable to help but wonder in his mind what he _would_ see if he took one. He lifted his eyes to look at the bottle on the couch, and he stared at it. Willow noticed this and quickly spoke up again.

"Joker, plea-" she stopped short as Joker stood from the couch, stepping over to the loveseat. "_Please!_" she screamed again as she finally stood up. On the floor Joey shouted again as the spiders started to finally crawl onto his body, and he tried desperately to brush them all off as he panicked noisily.

Joker continued to ignore her, finally deciding, once and for all, that he wanted to experience it. Joey would never let him live down passing up the opportunity. After all, he was the _Joker; _ he wasn't scared of anything...

"Joker please," Willow said, nearly sobbing now as she stomped along with Joker as he headed towards the stairs. "_Please _don't!"

Joker continued to tune her out, however, and he quickly ran up the stairs for some privacy. Willow stopped, feeling defeated as she watched reach the top. With another loud shout from Joey she quickly turned around and sprinted into the living room.

"Joey! Joey listen to me!" She tried to tell him. He was sitting on the floor, his legs stretched in front of him. He appeared how he always did with his leather pants and muscle shirt, but the current frightened Joey in front of her nearly broke her heart. "Joey there's nothing here!"

"There's spi-... spid-" He closed his eyes and violently shook his head as he started to brush all the spiders off of him again, their little legs making their way quickly up his skin.

"There are no spiders!" Willow said, but she knew it was useless. Had someone tried to tell her Joker wasn't trying to kill her during her time she would have never been able to believe them.

Joker closed the bathroom door quickly, forgetting to lock it as he stepped over to the sink. He opened the cap and poured a pill onto his hand, wasting no time with popping it into his mouth to swallow. He shook his violently side to side before he looked at himself in the mirror, smirking, knowing already nothing was going to happen. He was happy to be rid of Willow, he couldn't deal with her shouting at him much longer, and it took everything he had in himself not to choke her. Who was she anyway to scream at him like that? He could do whatever he wanted whether she liked it or not.

He rotated his head around, cracking his neck before he sat down on the closed toilet seat, and he lifted his legs to placed his feat on the bathtub rim in front of him. He slapped his hands on his knees before he leaned back, waiting patiently for the effects to kick in. He busied himself yet again with glancing around the bathroom, until finally he let his eyes slide shut and he titled his head back to rest it on the wall behind him.

A good few minutes passed until he finally opened his eyes, only to immediately squint due to the ridiculously bright light above. He licked his lips as he leaned forward, trying to ignore the bright light as his own body started to tingle. He grinned to himself as he brought his feet down to the floor, and he shook his head, his theory that he'd only feel the physical effects staring to prove itself true. From his sitting position he looked all around the vibrantly colored bathroom, his eyes adjusting to the light as he waited to see something that would "scare" him. But nothing changed, and nothing appeared, and he chuckled to himself as he stood up from the toilet. His body continued to tingle, the feeling somewhat enjoyable and familiar to him. Now all that was left to do was go and show Willow that he was fine, and perhaps punish her for being so rude earlier. Maybe he'd even mess with Joey some more.

As he walked past the large mirror he randomly glanced over to it with a grin, only to immediately jump at the image. He lost his balance and fell backward, his back hitting the wall next to the tub as he stared wide-eyed at the very evil, very terrifying clown that stared back at him...

His chest heaved up and down as he breathed in and out rapidly, his heart racing. A cold shiver ran all along his limbs as he tried to lean off the wall. His body shook, but with a brave swallow he took a step towards the counter, never removing his eyes from the clown in the mirror. It had wild, bright green hair and a ghostly white face with deep, messy black rings around its soulless eyes that seemed to stare right through him. It wore an evil grin with blood red paint over its lips, the paint traveling upward towards his ears to form a permanent and nasty smile. Joker's jaw dropped as he stared into the eyes of the clown, his breath hitching his throat while the clown's jaw hung slack as well; it was copying him!

A small squeaking noise escaped from Joker's throat as he forced a breath out, and leaned away from the counter, the clown doing the same. But the longer he stared into the demonic face that stared, dumbfounded, at him he finally began to realize something truly horrifying: that clown was him!

With a loud, deafening shout he placed his open palms on the mirror, only to jump back a second later with a tremendous shudder, too close to that clown, to _him_. He closed his eyes tight as he reached his arms out, swinging his body violently to the side as he knocked off everything from the counter, the items falling nosily to the floor. He sucked in his lips, biting on them as he looked back into the mirror. His hands shook tremendously, seeming to be moving a hundred miles an hour as they vibrated back and forth and side to side all at once. He closed his eyes and slapped his hands up to his face, rubbing his hands all over it quickly, trying desperately to get the paint off his face. A mix of white, gray and pink paint were stained onto his hands but when he looked back into the mirror the paint on his face appeared just as it had, not one inch of it smudged. His jaw hung slack again as his entire body trembled violently to the point where he had a hard time standing up. His mind was unable to comprehend anything besides that fact that _he_ himself was a _clown_. Memories of circus' and birthday parties came to view, and Joker closed his eyes tight as he let out a noise that signaled _tears_ were on their way. His bit down on his tongue as he ran his hands through his hair, and he screamed out as he pulled on it, hard, shouting over and over again as he turned his body around, stomping on the floor as he quickly doubled his body over, nearly hitting his head on the tub. He took in a deep breath through his nose as he brought himself back up, instantly feeling dizzy and lightheaded as he toppled backwards. He caught himself with his hands on the door and he pushed himself off of it, accidentally glancing into the mirror again, his make-up still perfectly plastered to his face.

He reached down to his waist and quickly slid his shirt off, and he brought it up to his face, pushing down hard as he rubbed his head into it. With furrowed eyebrows he dared look into the mirror again, but the paint remained.

"_FUCK_!" He screamed loudly, the word echoing off the walls. He dropped his body to the floor, landing hard on his shaking knees as he struggled to find something, moving all the objects around on the floor.

_"Joker_?"

He heard a familiar voice on the other end of the door, but he wasn't sure who it was as he continued to try and find a razor though his blurry vision. Finally he found the expensive mens razor, and he slammed it against the floor with his fist, the razor popping out of the shaver. He quickly picked it up, ignoring the rapid knocking on the door as he leaned back over the counter, panting, nearly out of breath as he forced himself to look at the clown.

"Joker! Joker!" Willow was screaming on the other end of the door as she pounded on it. Shouts from Joker upstairs had terrified her, the monster making a ton of noise in the bathroom. Willow knew there was nothing more dangerous than the Joker at this point, but she _had_ to get in there and help him.

Without thinking she reached her hand to the handle, surprised when it turned, and she pushed the door open. It bounced off the wall as Joker fell into her line of sights, and she screamed out when she noticed Joker taking the razor to his face as his body noticeably trembled.

_"Joker!_" She lunged forward just as Joker touched the razor to the side of his face, just next to his right eye, and he shakily slid his hand down, yelling out over the pain, the clown screaming loudly in the mirror. Willow grabbed his wrist and tugged down as hard as she could, Joker resisting all the while. She struggled with his weak but yet strong body as he fought to keep the razor to cut the clown off from his face, but Willow held strong. She finally grabbed the triple bladed razor from it, feeling it enter her fingers, but she ignored the pain and threw it to the floor. Finally, Joker broke down...

His body became heavy as he slid down the counter, bringing Willow down with him. She hit the floor first and she kept her arms around Joker as his head fell onto her chest, and a piercing shock ran through her when she realized Joker was _sobbing_. His body continued to shake and his shoulders rose and fell dramatically, his breathing coming out in loud huffs as he mumbled something. Willow didn't know what to think or say as she watched Joker break down in front of her, her mind scrambled. What had he seen?

"Joker," she started, only for Joker to suddenly jump, causing Willow to be slammed painfully into the cabinet. "Joke-"

"Ja-" Joker started to say, but the word could not form. "J-j-jack," he finally forced himself to say. Willow's eyebrows met in the middle as she stared at the top of his head. _Jack_?

"What did you see?"

"Cl-clown-" Joker managed to say in a low, raspy voice. Willow felt dizzy with confusion while her breath hitched in her throat. A clown? How could that be? It made absolutely no sense to her, whatsoever. But this apparent clown that Joker had seen had obviously scared the _hell_ out of him to the point where he was completely not acting like himself at all, and this scared Willow more than anything. It seemed her worst fear was actually coming to life, and here she was, being forced to deal with it firsthand, up close and personal...

She swallowed as she tried not to think too hard about it. All she had to do was help out Joker in one way or another before he came too physically violent again. It seemed he was worse than Joey, his body shaking nearly twenty times more, his shouts louder, his fear stronger. She pushed on his shoulders, forcing him to lean again the counter, and she finally noticed most of his make-up had been wiped off, leaving white paint to linger around the sides of his face and hair line. The side of his face was bleeding, however, the blood dripping off from his jawline onto his shoulder.

She bit her lip as she stood up, and she quickly threw open the curtain to the shower, and she turned the cold water on. She immediately turned back to Joker, and she grabbed his shoulders as she tried to hoist him up, but unless he cooperated she knew it would be a very difficult task.

"Jok- _Jack_, you gotta get up," she said. "C'mon, stand up!" She screamed at him. But it seemed as though Joker couldn't hear her as he continued to violently shake. He knew it was Willow here with him, but he also knew that clown was still attached to his face, it's evil pulsating through his veins, rendering him powerless as it laughed at him.

Willow quickly grabbed his wrists, and she grunted as she started to finally pull him up, leaning back into the shower, the freezing water wetting the back of her head. Joker stumbled as he turned his body, and he shouted once he saw himself in the mirror again. Willow quickly leaned forward to steady him as Joker closed his eyes, and she quickly started to turn his body when he tried to look into the mirror, which apparently was causing the problems in the first place.

"Don't look at it!" she commanded. "Don't look," she repeated as she finally turned his body to pull him towards her as she backed towards the shower. She stepped over the edge of the tub, trying to ignore the cold water, and she prayed that it would do something, _anything_ to help Joker. She bent down, lifting his leg, and she placed his foot on the floor of the tub before she grabbed his shoulders to pull him in all the way.

Finally, with her hair matted down against her head, she helped Joker to sit down under the water, his body jumping once it made contact with his skin completely. She sat next to him as the water poured down on his head, rinsing away the rest of the paint and blood down the drain. Her clothes sticking to her body made it difficult to move, but she pushed through it, wrapping her arms around Joker as he leaned on her the same way he had against the cabinets.

A tear slid down her cheek as she tried to stay calm. Seeing Joker in this manner truly terrified her, and it broke her heart in half. Joker built a reputation of being _fearless, heartless, _and _brave, _and yet here he was, breaking down over a _clown_ in Willow's arms. She bit her lip as she raised her eyes to the ceiling, shivering, but nothing at this point could tear her away from helping Joker through his living nightmare.

It seemed the water was helping somewhat with Joker. His shaking subdued into faint shivering, and he crossed his arms, a silly effort to try and warm himself. Feeling slowly started to come back to him, and he could feel Willow's hand as she rubbed it over his upper back.

"The clown is gone," she spoke over the running water. "It was never there." Finally she understood how frustrated Joker must have been with trying to convince her that she had only been hallucinating.

"I... was... the..." Joker started, but he couldn't finish the sentence, and he squinted his eyes even tighter together. Willow swallowed back the tears that wanted to desperately fall from her eyes as she wondered what she could do for him. It seemed he only suffered from the physical effects of the medication when he wasn't near a mirror... All she could think of doing was getting him into bed in the guestroom, where the effects could ware off with sleep, but she wasn't sure how she'd get Joker out of the shower or passed the large mirror.

She reached forward, shutting off the the water and shower, and she gently eased Joker back to lean by the faucet. His eyes were red and bloodshot, his hair matted to his head, his pants soaked and sticking to his body. Blood faintly re-appeared to where he had cut himself with the razor, and he continued to shiver. Willow forced herself to lean up, and she wondered how she was going to do this.

"Jack," she started as she looked at him. It felt so odd calling him that. Joker raised his eyes to her, and Willow stopped, breathless as she started into them, the blue more noticeable than it ever had been. Obediently, Joker continued to look at her, waiting for her to speak, but Willow was speechless for the time being. It was a look she had _never_ received from Joker, and one she thought she never would. He looked so helpless, so _scared_, and she knew he was counting on her for her help, whether he knew this or not. "Can you get up and walk?"

Joker swallowed as he nodded his head, barely able to comprehend what she had said. Finally Willow stood up all the way while Joker started to get up himself. She stepped out of the shower and picked out a towel from the cabinet before lingering over the edge as Joker struggled to bring himself to his feet. Thinking quickly, she reached over and turned off the light, Joker jumping at the sudden darkness.

"It's okay," Willow said as she reached out blindly, feeling for his shoulders. She waited for Joker to step out of the tub, their bodies dripping water, creating a large puddle underneath them. Once he was out, she undid the large towel and reached around him, setting it down over his broad shoulders as she lifted herself on her tip-toes, even with him leaning over. He continued to shiver as Willow led him towards the door, and she turned him to face the wall to avoid the little bit of light from the hall that shone onto the mirror.

Once in the hall she continued to walk him towards the guestroom and she flipped on the light, quickly turning the mirror that was near the door to face the wall. Joker stepped into the room, stopping in the middle. She quickly turned towards the end table and threw open a drawer, and she randomly chose a pair of boxers.

"Can you put these on?" She asked as she looked up to him. He wore a depressing frown on his face that shattered her heart into even more pieces, and she smiled warmly at him as he boyishly nodded, taking them from her with a slightly shaking hand. He dropped the towel to the floor while Willow helped him to undo his pants. He reached down himself, and she quickly started towards the door, deciding to check up on Joey. He was where she had left him, laying on the bigger couch in the darkness. Through the faint light from the hallway that shone downstairs, she could see him still shaking violently, though he was no longer screaming about spiders. She bit her lip again as she turned around, just in enough time to see Joker had managed to get the dry boxers around his ankles. She entered the room and grabbed them herself and pulled them up for him, gently laying them low against his hips. She picked up the towel, drying his legs and arms further before she finally led him over towards his side of the bed. He laid down on it immediately as he remained perfectly silent, the blood starting to dry on the side of his face. He laid his wet head onto the pillow while Willow pulled up all the blankets on the bed over him, resting them under his chin and tucking him in as he turned on his side, facing her.

"Are you okay?" She asked as she watched him close his eyes, but he never answered, and he instead sighed as he tried to control his breathing. She sniffled as she leaned up, and she turned off the light by the door before she stepped into the hallway to head back to the bathroom.

Flipping on the light, she walked around the objects scattered on the floor, ignoring the water on her cold feet. She looked into the mirror, wishing widely she knew what Joker had seen exactly. Her own body shook in fright over seeing Joker break down, and she was unable to erase the image from her mind.

Finally she found what she was looking for, and she bent down to pick up the bottle of pills from the floor. She turned it over to read the label, and she let out a sigh of relief, thanking God that Joker had only taken the mild pills. If Jonathan had given her a stronger dose, then she knew by the morning both Joker and Joey should be feeling better, and she wondered vaguely if they'd remember any of this. She hoped not, because there was no telling what Joker would do over realizing how he had acted in front of Willow... she had seen him _cry_. There was no way he'd let her live to tell the story...

She pushed the thought of her own death to the back of her mind as she turned the light off, and she started down the stairs to check on Joey. He was still shaking under the blanket she had given him, and he opened his eyes to look at her through the darkness. She didn't dare turn on a light as she approached him, knowing it would just set him off. With the lights off he saw no spiders, and with no mirrors Joker saw no clowns.

"S-piders..." Joey mumbled in a shaking voice.

"They're gone," Willow said soothingly as she looked down at him, watching as he closed his eyes. "Go to sleep, okay?"

Joey didn't respond as he tried to control his own breathing, and Willow turned around to head back upstairs.

Joker was still in the same position, and she turned off the hall light before she stepped into the guestroom, deciding to keep the door open. The lights from the snake's tanks helped as she made her way to her side of the bed. She took off her wet clothes, quickly replacing her underwear with a dry pair and she picked up a dry shirt from the ground and slid it on. She pulled back the blankets on her side of the bed and she crawled in next to Joker, laying on her side. She reached out, touching her hand gently to his back, happy when Joker didn't jump at this. She scooted closer to him and closed her eyes, swearing to herself for Joker's sake if he didn't kill her, that this night would forever remain their own, private secret...

a.n: weee hopefully this chapter was as fun to read as it was to write! pleeease leave me a review telling me what you liked. I'm soo happy with the amount of reviews i've been getting on the chapters, keep it up guys! i'd like to thank queenofmean for helpin' me out with some ideas :D hope you enjoyed it!


	16. Expect The Unexpected

His body leaped as Joker woke up with a start, his eyes immediately popping open to adjust to the darkness. He stared at the open closet directly in front of him, his eyebrows furrowed as he took a second to let the feeling of being awake catch up with him. All at once, however, memories of the night before came flooding back to him with such force he angrily threw the heavy blankets off of him and he sat up quickly, feeling lightheaded due to the rapid motion. He could recall _everything_, he felt as though he remembered the whole night perfectly. He didn't care about Joey's experience, and he did _not_ care about the clown... all he could focus on is what had happened with Willow, and she had seen him do.

He moved his fingers into his hair and grabbed two large tufts, pulling hard as he leaned over, looking down at his feet. He had _cried_ in front of her; he had broken down like some weak and pathetic , and over what? Over a _clown_? How in the _fuck_ did that make sense?

He took in a deep, long breath through his nose as grabbed the edge of the bed, finally realizing Willow wasn't in bed next to him. With a loud, audible growl he stood up, _positive_ that she had told Joey everything. And how could she not have? _Nobody _had _ever_ witnessed Joker in such a human-like moment. '_Oh my God, Joey_!' He pictured in his head what she instantly had said to Joey that morning. '_Joker's like, toootally afraid of clowns and he cried! He cried in front of me! But don't tell anyone, he'd kill me!_'

He slammed his fist into the closet as anger surged through his body, his fist breaking through the wood. He pulled it out as he kept his fingers clenched, the pain helping _somewhat_ with his anger and hatred over himself. He paced about the room, remembering how he had bawled in the shower with her as she held him, insisting to be called Jack rather than what his _real_ name was. He recalled how she had to help into bed, and before that help get him _dressed_. It was absolutely ridiculous. He touched his hand to the right side of his face, running his finger over the jagged, dried blood that existed there.

He swallowed now as he thought in a panic. It seemed the only sensible thing to do was kill her, and perhaps even Joey. There was just no way this could get out to anyone, and he wasn't sure he could even live with Willow and Joey knowing.

But now, for the time being, how was he supposed to go downstairs and face them? It would be awkwardly quiet before Joey laughed at him, and he could picture Willow quickly sprinting over to him and making sure he was okay. No. He didn't want any of it. He didn't want her help or pity and if Joey said _one_ wrong thing to him he'd kill him, hands down, no strings attached. He did not care at this point.

He turned around and snatched a pair of pants out of the closet, his knuckles bleeding slightly, but he ignored it and threw them on. He turned to head to the door, and he froze momentarily when he noticed the mirror by the door had been turned around. He narrowed his eyes on it, thinking, and he reached out to turn it around. When he stared at his reflection he saw only himself, his face bare, green hair thrown all over the place, and the dry blood on the side of his face. He stared at himself for a good long minute before he finally threw the guestroom door open to stomp onto the landing.

From the table Willow and Joey had heard the loud bang in the guestroom, and now they held their breaths as they listened to Joker make his way down the stairs. Joey was confused as to why Joker seemed to have woken up so angry, but Willow knew. Joey had been able to, quite embarrassingly, recall everything, and she knew Joker would be able to as well. Any minute he'd storm over to the table and kill her instantly and without warning, thus bringing what was apparently _her_ worst fear to life.

Joker rounded the corner of the stairs and started towards the table. Willow sat adjacent to Joey, a mug of coffee in front of her that she held with both her hands as she stared down, her curly and wavy hair parted in just a way that he could make out the nervous frown she wore on her face. Joey, however, was watching him as he approached. He looked guilty, and mighty worried...

Joker kept his lips thinned once he approached them and he turned swiftly to head into the kitchen. _Cue bad morning... aaaand, go_.

"Man," Joey started with a grin as he shook his head. "Last night was... I mean... holy _fuck_."

Joker remained quiet as he opened the fridge, a bottle of ketchup falling from the door and landing on the floor, but he ignored it and instead grabbed out the orange juice, leaving the bottle on the ground. Willow had slowly turned around, and she watched as he unscrewed the lid to drink directly from the bottle. He brought the jug down, swallowing the large amount of tart liquid he held in his mouth as his eyes fell to Willow. He glared at her, and she instantly turned back around, her heart pounding. Joker raised an eyebrow at this. She seemed terrified.

"Yeah those spiders are pretty scary, huh?" Joker asked sourly as he went in for another sip of orange juice. Joey looked down as his face reddened.

"Whatever," he mumbled. "What the fuck were you freaking out about upstairs? Did you try the pills?"

Joker swallowed again, and he took a deep breath in through his nose. Willow could feel him glaring at the back of her head, and all she wanted to do was disintegrate away and not have to deal with this.

"Yeah," Joker answered. "Didn't _Willow_ tell you?"

"Man she didn't tell me _shit_," Joey complained. "Been chillin' with her for fuckin' two and a half hours now and she barely said a word. What _happened_?"

Joker's eyebrows met in the middle as he continued to stare at Willow. She hadn't told Joey anything? "What _did_ she say?" he asked, carrying on the conversation as if she wasn't there. She closed her eyes tight, recalling everything, remembering the promise she had made with herself the night before. Without warning she suddenly stood from the table, some of her coffee spilling over the edge of the mug, and she started towards the stairs with her head down. Joker watched her go before he turned back to Joey, a look of confusion on his face. If she really hadn't told him anything, then it would change everything.

"_Nothing,_" Joey repeated as Joker set the orange juice down, and he made his way over to the table to sit down where Willow had been. "All she told me is that you made a mess in the bathroom. Thanks, by the way," he added sarcastically. "Anyway that doesn't tell me _shit_. So while you all know that yes, I'm _terrified_ of spiders, I act like a little _fucking_ _girl_ in front of them, what did you see?"

Joker frowned as he looked at Joey, his mind going at a million miles a minute, unable to fathom that Willow hadn't told him a _thing_. She didn't even tell him what he had seen...

"Nothing," Joker said as he leaned back. "Don't worry about it."

"Man that's _bullshit_," Joey said as he laughed slightly, shaking his head. "Last night was supposed to be _funny_, and now your turning it into some serious thing."

_It is serious, _Joker thought as he recalled how scared he had been of practically _himself_. He thought back to Willow, and how she had done everything to keep him away from a mirror. She had taken what Joker had done with her and intensified it, giving her all to help him come down from the high. Here she was, the only girl in the entire world who had experienced him breaking down completely, and she hadn't said a word. Why would she do that? But at the same time what would have happened if she didn't help him? He thought back, wondering silently himself if he really would have ended up cutting his own face off...

"Man, you're no fun," Joey interrupted. "I can't know what you saw?"

"Nope," Joker said as he stood from the table now. Without another word he instantly headed towards the stairs, leaving Joey to watch him, feeling very disappointed.

Joker quickly sprinted up the stairs and started to the bathroom, and he stopped suddenly when he saw her. Willow was bent down on the floor, her hair in her face as she picked up everything that had been thrown on to the floor. Just as Willow stood up he barged into the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind him. Willow jumped as Joker approached her, and he grabbed her upper arms, squeezing them as he spun her around to force her against the counter, the edge digging into her lower back. She stared up at him panic-stricken as he pointed a finger into her face.

"If you _ever_ tell _anybody_ about what happened last night...-" Joker started in a grave, frantic voice, but he couldn't bring himself to finish his hostile death threat. He stared at Willow's frightened face, her eyes wide, eyebrows raised and her lips sucked in as she most likely anticipated him to hurt her. He swallowed nervously, feeling less and less like himself as he absentmindedly loosened his grip on her arm, lowering his finger as he breathed in and out deeply and quickly through his nose. He felt Willow relax slightly, completely thrown off by his attitude that morning. Neither knew what to say as they looked into each other eyes in the silent bathroom. Joker glanced up to look at his reflection behind her, having a hard time believing all that had happened the night before was real. His eyes dropped back down to Willow's, his lips thinned as he angrily stared at her.

She bit down on her tongue, unsure of what to do or say. She knew Joker was embarrassed like no other about the drug experience, and she felt for him, but she wondered what she could do or say that wouldn't lead to him snapping her neck right here and then.

"I won't tell anyone," she finally mumbled in a small voice. "You can trust me on that, but..." she trailed off as she looked down.

"But _what_?" Joker growled.

"I wanna know what you saw..." she spoke up honestly. Joker let his hands fall from her body, letting them slap against his sides. He shook his head as he took a step back and he started towards the door.

"You know what I saw," he said. "Why even ask-"

"I wanna know _why_," she interrupted as she turned her head to look at him, continuing to lean against the counter. Joker stopped short as he stared at the knob of the door, barely knowing why himself. It seemed all along he known what his biggest fear was, but he still figured nothing would have happened. He was smarter than that, however, and he couldn't remember why he had even done it. But Willow hadn't even told Joey, the secret seemed to be truly safe with her. If she hadn't even told Joey then he was certain she wouldn't tell anyone else, not that she even had anyone else to tell in the first place. A part of him wanted to tell her why, but he just couldn't bear to come off as so weak, _again_. He was superior to her, he was stronger, and she was supposed to look up to him, _not_ the other way around.

He turned around slowly, and Willow held her breath as he stepped back over to her. He stood in front of her, glaring down into her eyes as she looked up into his. "We're done talking about it," he said in a much calmer voice. "And you're done worrying about it. Obviously I'm _fine. _For some God awful reason I'm trusting you to keep this to nobody but _yourself." _He watched as she sadly looked down, and for some reason it slightly pained him to see her look so hurt. He took in a deep breath, realizing he really didn't have much more of a reason to be angry anymore. He had told her that she was more than a distraction to him, and unfortunately it was proving to be true more and more each day. He touched his finger to the bottom of her chin and gently brought her head back up, her green eyes vibrant as she looked at him, confused, slightly frightened, and sad. He touched his hand to the side of her face, and he parted her lips with his thumb before he leaned in, kissing her firmly. She gasped as she froze, a shiver running up her spine, but her body relaxed a short moment later.

Joker broke the kiss momentarily to lift her onto the counter next to the sink, and he leaned forward again in between her legs, Willow awkwardly leaning against the mirror, but her eyes slid shut as Joker kissed her again, his own eyes closed. She reached up and grabbed his arms, digging her nails into his skin while Joker squeezed hard on her hips, the pain they brought on each other only intensifying the passionate kiss.

Joker lingered on with the kiss a moment longer before he finally pulled away slowly. She opened her eyes and stared into his, her heart still pounding at a million miles a second. Joker continued to hold her hips firmly, staring at her, reading her, until he finally turned away to open the door and head into the guestroom.

Willow took in a deep breath as she tried to understand what had just happened. She figured that the kiss had maybe been Joker's way of thanking her, since she knew he'd never say those words out loud to her. She slid her body off of the counter, feeling dazed and dizzy as she stepped out of the bathroom herself. She glanced over to the closed guestroom door, and she hoped that maybe one day she'd understand why Joker's biggest fear was a clown.

–

After a shower and re-applying his face, which fortunately he could stand to look at without feeling anything towards it, Joker headed downstairs, wearing his normal purple attire, minus his vest. However he found the house to be completely empty, and he wondered vaguely where Willow and Joey had gotten to. He looked in the hallway that led to Joey's office, the room bare, and he headed back towards the living room. Looking outside at the deck he saw that it was down pouring rain, and he turned around to head back to the stairs, deciding to see if they were perhaps in the basement.

Sure enough he saw them both standing on the patio, shielded from the rain from the deck. Arlo was running around in the rain in a hyper manner while Willow smoked a cigarette, Joey a cigar. Willow's back was against the glass of the partly slid open door while Joey was on her right side, his back to the door as well. Joker silently crept up to the door, deciding it would be funny to pound on the glass and scare the hell out of them both. After all that had happened the night before and in the morning he knew he was in desperate need of a good laugh.

"...just don't get what his problem was," Joey was saying. Willow rolled her eyes as she took a long drag, and she tilted her head as she gently blew out the smoke passed her lips.

"He just doesn't want to talk about it, Joey," she said back as she watched Arlo chase his tail. Joey frowned heavily next to her.

"I don't want to _talk_ about it, I want to know what he saw."

"That would require talking to him about it," Willow pointed out with a small grin. From behind them Joker raised an eyebrow. Now that he knew they were definitely talking about him, he decided to put his childish antics on hold and have a listen further.

"Then _you_ tell me," Joey said. "What did he see?"

"I don't know," Willow said passively as she took another drag, and she turned her head to stare at the sky beyond the deck.

"Yes, you do," Joey said. "God those drugs are a joke! It's funny! Why can't you two just chill out about it?"

"Because we saw something that's a little deeper to us than spiders," Willow said in a mumble, and it took everything Joker had in him not to laugh. '_Atta girl_, he thought with a smirk.

Willow placed her cigarette in the ash tray next to her before she turned around, deciding that she was done completely with the conversation, but she felt her heart stop and her body jumped when she saw Joker standing behind the door. She frowned at him as she let out a large breath, and she slid the door open, leaving Joey to put out his cigar.

"How long have you been there?" She asked quietly. Joker merely shrugged and he looked up when he noticed Joey stepping inside the house from the corner of his eye. He lingered out the door, calling for his dog, but Arlo stood in the middle of the yard, his ears perked and head tilted to the side. Finally Joey rolled his eyes and he slid the door shut.

"Better be careful, Joey," Joker said with a grin. "There's spiders down here."

Joey stared at his friend with a flat expression, wishing he could say something to get him back. But unfortunately it seemed he would never know what Joker had seen, so all he could do was shake his head and start towards the stairs, Joker and Willow behind him.

Once upstairs Joey immediately headed towards the kitchen while Willow started to the living room to watch TV. It seemed as though Joker was in a much better mood, and since he had obviously been listening in on their conversation, she hoped she had finally proven to him that his secret was one thousand percent safe with her.

Joker headed towards the table that was directly in the middle, separating the kitchen from the living room, about to speak up, but a sudden vibration in his pocket caused him to pause and stop short. He pulled out his phone and he stared motionless at the caller ID. He raised his eyebrows as he glanced up. Willow had already settled into a show, her face a blank stare as she gazed at the TV, while Joey was busy scanning his fridge for something to eat. Quickly Joker turned and sprinted up the stairs before he hit the green talk button to hold the black phone to his ear.

"Officer _Elliot_!" Joker boasted into the phone with a wide grin as he spun on his heel to face the window of the guestroom.

"Yeah Joker, how you doin'?" Officer Elliot asked. Drew Elliot had been a cop for two years, but had been friends with Joker for three, and with Joker being such the persuasive guy he was, he was able to strike a deal with Drew when he joined the force, giving Joker an inside advantage to Gotham's finest.

"I was doing good," Joker answered. "But now seeing as you're calling me..." he trailed off, recalling the strict instructions he had given Drew so many years ago. He was to only call Joker with important information that concerned him, and seeing as how he hadn't heard from Drew in over year, Joker was sure something serious was up.

"Yeah well, got some bad news," Officer Elliot said in more of a hushed tone. "The boys they uh... they think they know where you're at."

"Oh?" Joker asked as he raised his eyebrows, not feeling panicked at all. "And how's that?"

"You know a guy named Joseph Wallace?" Officer Elliot asked, but he didn't give Joker time to answer verbally. "They got a tip from a guy the other night, he called informing us of your location. Said you've been living with this dude... there's a meeting I'm on my way to, Gordon wants to _plan out_ what our course of action will be."

Joker nodded at this as he rolled his eyes. "Who called?"

"Didn't say his name," Officer Elliot replied. "Wanted to be kept anonymous. Anyway all I know is the cops are showin' up at the house sometime between seven and eight _tonight_, so you need to get your shit and get out," Officer Elliot warned as he parked his police cruiser in front of the GPD Station, waiting for Joker to reply.

Joker walked up to the window, and he drew back the blanket that covered it, and he stared into the side of the backyard, Joey's stupid dog _still_ running around in a very hyper manner. All of Joker's options ran through his mind at once, and he knew standing there on the phone with Officer Elliot wasn't going to help him come to the easiest and most logical one.

"You've been a _wealth_ of information, Elliot," Joker said, and without another word he hung up the phone, instantly placing it back in his pocket. He slowly turned around, his eyes moving all around the room, making a mental list of what was his, only for his mind to trail off and start taking notice of Willow's clothes all over... _Hmm_.

He glanced at the clock; he had just under five hours to decide what the best course of action would be, as well as the easiest. Regardless, he knew _he_ would be getting out of the drama with the police, so he reached under the bed for one of Willow's bags, and he started to empty the contents of his nightstand into it.

A good hour later Joker had just made his way back downstairs, quickly noticing that nothing had changed since receiving the random and urgent call. Willow was slouched down on the couch, her arm dangling off the arm of the it while she rested her feet on the coffee table. Joey was sitting at smaller edge of the table, his back to Joker as he finished his late lunch of left over chicken. The light reflecting off of Joey's shiny, bald head quickly encouraged what Joker considered to be a hilarious idea, and he silently started towards Joey, gently picking his sock-covered feet off the ground, his legs spread in a clown-like manner as to not let his pant legs rub.

From the corner of her eye Willow noticed Joker's movement, and he was quick to hold his finger up to his painted lips as he advanced towards Joey. Willow raised an eyebrow as she watched, wondering what Joker was going to do.

Holding back the giggling fit that was just begging to come out, Joker grabbed a strand of his hair and bent over behind Joey, holding his breath, and he reached out to gently touch the hair to Joey's head. With a sudden jump Joey reached back to smack at whatever it was on his head and he angrily turned around, a large scowl on his face.

"The _fuck_!" He yelled at Joker as he continued to double check and make sure there was nothing on his head. Joker laughed loudly while Willow couldn't help but grin at the commotion as she watched it unfold.

"Still paranoid about those _spiders_ are we?" Joker asked with a grin as he reached for his keys on the breakfast bar. Joey grunted as he turned back around. Willow's grin faded and she turned around to look back at the TV.

"Learn to drop it, bro," Joey said as he rolled his eyes. He grabbed his empty plate and stood up from the table. "Where are you goin'?"

"Places," Joker said passively as he started towards the front door. Joey rolled his eyes, knowing he'd get no further with his questioning if he was to continue it. Once Joker had closed the door behind him, Joey started to his office while Willow was left on the couch, her eyes growing heavier and heavier.

–

The first thing Joker noticed upon getting home few hours later was how deathly quiet the house was yet again. This time, however, he noticed Willow's sleeping figure on the couch, her hair falling from the arm of the couch while her legs were stretched in front of her. Joker quietly walked further into the house and he peered around the corner down the small hallway. With Joey's office door shut, he figured this was the only opportunity he had. He quickly started upstairs, and after entering the guestroom he grabbed the last of Willow's duffel bags and he threw it on the bed.

He maneuvered all around the room, collecting all of Willow's clothes and he crammed them into the bag. From her nightstand table he grabbed her large collection of tip money, and he ran his thumb over the wad with a grin before he placed it into his inside coat pocket. With room still in her bag, he collected a few more items of his, such as hidden stray knifes and other weapons, clothes he had left in the closet and a few other random objects.

He started down the stairs, both bags in hand, and he stepped onto the porch through the already opened door, heading towards the Tahoe that he had parked at the side of the street against the sidewalk in front of Joey's house. After driving around Joey's neighborhood and the back streets of Gotham to plan out the best rout to take, Joker was sure he had come to a reasonable and satisfying decision. He opened the back door and threw the bags onto the floor before he closed it with a slam and he headed back into the house. He closed the front door behind him, and he glanced at the clock on the microwave in the kitchen once he had walked further into the house. The time read six forty six, leaving him just about under an hour most likely until the police showed up.

He casually turned around to head towards the couch, and he leaned over the back of it to stare down at Willow's sleeping figure. Her skin looked so soft and touchable, and she wore a small pout on her face as she slept with her head turned towards the TV, her flat stomach rising and falling gently. Finally Joker reached down to slap her repeatedly but gently on the exposed side of her face.

"Hey," he said. "Get up. I need you to help me with somethin' downstairs."

Willow groaned as she swatted his hand away, and she yawned heavily as she forced herself to sit up, deciding it best not to keep Joker waiting even though it was mighty tempting. He watched as she stretched her arms in front of her, arching her back as she did, until finally she stood up to follow Joker as he headed towards the stairs.

"What did you need help with?" Willow asked once Joker had reached the bottom step. Before she even reached the floor, Joker had already reached out and grabbed her, and he slammed her against the wall with a thud. Her eyes went wide as she gasped, her body going into defense mode, stiffening in fright, until suddenly Joker's lips came crashing down on hers. Her breath hitched in confusion over his act, but she recovered quickly, immediately kissing back as she slid her hands up his chest, under his coat.

He rested his hands on her hips, and he squeezed them roughly before he slid his hands up her body, resting them heavily on either side of her face. He opened his eyes as he pulled away, smirking when a look of confusion spread quickly onto Willow's face once she opened her eyes. She stared deeply into his, wondering vaguely what this was all about it, but she found herself not ready for it to end as she grabbed two fist fulls of his blue shirt. Joker licked his lips quickly as he stared back at her, her eyes seeming to glow. He tilted his head as he parted her lips with both his thumbs and he dove in hungrily for another kiss, this time slipping her his tongue hungrily.

Willow accepted it eagerly, and she pulled on his shirt as their tongues danced, desperate to be closer to him. Joker rested his body against hers as his hands slid back down her body. He skipped her hips, however, and gripped her thighs, and she squealed as he picked her up, forcing her against the wall further as she wrapped her legs around his waist, tightly pressing herself against him. She grinned at him before she m her lips with his again, and she placed her arms on his shoulders, crossing them at the wrist behind him. Joker kept his hands on her hips as he bit gently on her lip, and he chuckled deeply as Willow pulled away from him with a whimper only to quickly catch his lips again.

Joker pulled away a few minutes later, leaving Willow to pant gently as she opened her eyes to look at him. "What was that for?"

Joker shrugged as he looked away for a second before returning his eyes to hers; he wasn't sure exactly himself. All he knew is the urge had creeped up on him ever sense he decided that yes, he actually _did_ want Willow to go with him on his journey away from the police. He wasn't sure why, and he especially wasn't sure why he had decided on this decision so quickly without any argument with himself, but for the time being it seemed like a good idea.

Willow slid her legs off of him as he pulled her away from the wall, and she stood on her tiptoes on the dirty concrete floor. "Do you have any cigarettes on you?" She wondered. Joker nodded, and she followed him towards the screen door, stepping outside into the cool air. It seemed Arlo finally had enough of the rain, and he sat under the deck, his tail wagging when he saw he had company. Joker ignored him and pulled out a cigarette before handing Willow the pack, and she took the lighter from Joker after his was lit. She took a large drag as she slid down the glass door to sit on the concrete, and she wondered what it was Joker had needed help with. But as she glanced up to his tall frame, she realized that maybe this was it.

Joker reached into his pocket to draw out his cell phone. With the time reading seven o' five, he knew at any minute now that police would be showing up. He put it back in his pocket and he took a hit from the cigarette, blowing the smoke from his nose as he glanced down to Willow, only to look back up at the raining sky beyond the underside of the deck.

"I know you said you didn't want to talk about it," Willow had started, and her breath hitched in her throat when Joker turned down to her. She had been fighting with herself over asking the question, but she felt desperate to know. Joker took another big drag from the cigarette, knowing what was coming. "But... why a... _clown_?"

"Why me trying to kill you?" Joker shot back at her with a shrug. Willow sadly looked down as she stared at her burning cigarette, and she flicked it, watching the ashes land next to her. Joker watched her before he rolled his eyes up toward the deck. "Willow when I said I didn't want to talk about it, I _meant_ that."

Willow swallowed as she continued to stare at the ground. "I know but, I'm not going to tell anyone... I just want to know."

"Sorry," Joker said with a shrug as he threw his cigarette onto the ground, stepping on it a moment later to stain the clean concrete patio with a black spot.

Upstairs Joey had just emerged from his office, feeling tired and drained already, and he debated with himself whether or not he wanted to go to the club that night. But knowing it would be best for him to just go, he decided to spend the next few hours relaxing in front of the TV.

He glanced around the house quickly before he sat down on the couch to pick up the remote, deciding the absence of Joker and Willow wasn't important right now. He flipped through the channels with a bored expression, growing more and more dissatisfied with the shows that came onto the screen.

Downstairs, just as Willow had placed her cigarette in the ashtray, Joker glanced back down at his phone to check the time. His scars twitched as he scowled slightly. "Willow," he said her name sternly, and she immediately turned her head to look up at him. "I need you to listen to and do everything I tell you, _when_ I tell you, we clear?"

Willow furrowed her eyebrows as her lips parted. What was he talking about? "Okay...?" She half asked. "Why? What's going on?"

"Don't worry about it," Joker said. "Just listen to _everything_ I tell you. Stay right here."

Willow watched as Joker slid open the door, Arlo running in inside after him, and she stood up quickly. She pressed her head against the glass as she watched Joker head towards the stairs, only to stop in front of them and glance up. She watched his lips, wondering if he would be yelling something up to Joey, but instead he kept them closed as he waited.

Willow's heart started to pound as she wondered wildly what he had been talking about. It was obvious he knew something she didn't, and she wished he'd let her in on the secret. Was Joey already in on it? _Most likely_, she thought. She leaned away from the glass to turn around and sit back against it, and she watched as the Gotham rain down poured onto the grass in front of her with no sign of stopping.

Joker stayed at the bottom of the stairs, listening to the TV. He pulled out his phone to check the time, and he quickly put his phone back in his pocket. He turned away from the stairs and headed back outside where he found Willow in her same sitting position. Over the few minutes he had been standing at the stairs, he started to debate with himself over the plan he had created in his head. He had just opened his mouth to speak, but he stopped short when he heard cars out front screech to a halt. Clueless, Willow turned her head towards the side of the house, and her body jumped violently when Joker quickly grabbed her arm to hoist her up. She turned to him, her eyes wide, and she was just about to speak but she paused when she heard a ton of car doors slam shut.

An instant later the front door upstairs barged open, causing Willow to jump again with a slight scream, but Joker was quick to turn her around.

"Go," he barked at her as he started to force her towards the gate. But she stopped short however.

"Go where!" She shouted over the rain. "Joker I have no shoes!"

Joker growled to himself as he forced her onto the grass, and he reached into his pocket to bring out his keys.

Upstairs, six police officers had just made their way into the house, two heading upstairs, one starting downstairs while the other three started in towards Joey, their guns pointed at him. Confused and panic stricken Joey hopped off the couch, his heart racing at the sudden disturbance as he held his arms up. He opened his mouth to speak but was quickly interrupted.

"Joseph Michael Wallace you are being arrested for aiding and assisting a criminal-"

"What are you talking about!" Joey shouted at them as he was turned around, two officers forcing him into handcuffs while the other stepped back towards the front door. "What's going on! You can't do this!"

"Sargent, they're getting away! The Joker- he's-" the officer by the door"Stop or I will shoot!" A bullet hit the passenger side door just as Willow had closed it, other officers quickly joining his side to stop the Joker, but it seemed to late.

As the two officers hauled Joey towards the front door he watched as Joker's green Chevy sped away from the house in the pouring rain, the truck fishtailing as officers scrambled out the door to get in their cars to catch him. Joey's jaw fell open, he was unable to hear the officer as he told him his rights in a very rushed tone. All Joey could fathom was how Joker had just _left_ him. He wasn't scared, rather he was blind sighted with anger, the rain drenching him as they stepped outside. The officer pushed him into the back of his car and slammed the door shut, leaving Joey to stare at his shoes as he leaned forward. Unable to control himself Joey leaned back and stomped his foot heavily on the ground, his mind and heart racing as he tried to make sense of it all.

The wheels of the Tahoe hydroplaned out of Joey's neighborhood as Joker turned swiftly onto a back road. Tears of confusion threatened to fall from Willow's eyes as she turned around in her seat to glance out the back at the bare road behind them with no signs of any cars following in the far distance.

"What the fuck just happened!" She screamed as she turned around. "What happened?"

Joker tried to remain patient as he swallowed the lump that had swelled in his throat as he tried not to think to deeply about what he had just done. All he wanted to think about was the future and what their next move would be. He took a deep breath, trying to remain patient. But it seemed Willow had already answered the question in her mind and was rambling on now.

"What about the snakes? And Arlo! And Joey! Joker he just got _arrested_!"

"I know-" Joker started to say, but Willow interrupted him.

"You knew this was coming!" She put it together. "And you let your best friend just get-"

"He's not my _best friend_, Willow," Joker snapped in a harsh and to-the-point tone as he turned to her, repulsed she would even use that word. "I'll drop you off right _here _on the side of the road if you don't _calm_ yourself down. Got it?"

With a whimper Willow closed her mouth and turned away as tears spilled down her cheeks. Her heart continued to pound and she felt cold as she wondered where they were going. The car ride continued for a few more minutes, Willow looking out the window blankly while Joker continued down the road, holding the wheel steady with one hand. He reached into his pocket to draw out the large wad of money, and he tossed into the cup holder in front of the center console. The noise caught Willow's attention, and she widened her eyes when they fell on the money.

"You calm enough for me to tell you the plan?" Joker wondered as he looked over to her. Willow bit her lip and nodded. "We're going to Detroit," Joker said, recalling the plan he had come up with after Officer Elliot had called him. "We're going to stay there for a little bit. After we'll-"

"What about Joey, though?" Willow asked.

"We'll _come back_ for him," Joker stressed as he switched hands on the wheel. Willow sucked in a breath as she looked down. How the hell would Joker pull that off? And when?

"Why couldn't he have just come with us?" She asked in a small voice, preparing herself for Joker to yell at her, or even worse, push her out of the speeding vehicle.

"Because, Willow, I had to focus ongetting _us _outta there. I know a guy on the force, Officer Elliot, he works for me you could say, and he called to inform me of the situation. You gotta understand, Willow, I've known Joey for a long time. The guy would have taken _forever_ to prepare to leave, and I can guarantee he wouldn't of even wanted to leave Gotham in the first place." Joker glanced over to Willow again, who was hunched over as she stared at her lap, her face wet due to the tears, her hair dripping from the rain. "If we ever want Joey to be with us again this is how it has to happen. _Trust me_."

Willow swallowed as she tried hard to stop crying. She knew all she could do at this point was to just let loose and trust Joker. He obviously had a plan, and it made sense he would know how Joey operated. "What's in Detroit?" She asked in a small voice as she looked back over to Joker. He shrugged.

"A little bit of everything. I know some people there," he said. "It was time for a... change," he added in a mumble as he sped under a yellow light that was seconds away from turning red. Willow looked back out of the window. Her body continued to shake, and she tried desperately to force herself to calm down. _Change_, Willow thought in her mind. She wasn't ready for a change. Her life had always been a series of changes, and she wished for once she could live life in the safe lane. The fast lane just wasn't doing it for her.

"We're definitely going to come back for him?"

Joker glanced over to her, her eyes glazed over with tears. "Yes," he answered.

"When?"

"I don't know," Joker said, wishing she'd stop with the questions. Had he know she'd be so burdensome he probably would have left her too... _maybe_.

Willow glanced behind her seat again, and she noticed the two bags sitting behind her on the floor. "Did you bring my shoes?" She asked, hopeful, though she was sure she knew the answer.

"Nope," Joker said, and he grinned as he looked over to her. "Maybe this is the rude awakening you'll need to learn to always be prepared, girly. It's gonna be a long road trip without them," he added. Willow pouted with a sniffle as she turned her head away to look back out of the window. She wished desperately that things could be different, but for her sake and Joker's, she knew she had to be strong, and go with the flow. As long as she was with Joker change was to always be dealt with openly, and she had to learn to always expect the unexpected...

A.n: well subjects here is the very unexpected end of the 2nd part in the willow series. fear not, for i have plans for a 3rd part... in the future. for the time being i'm going to be re-doing my first joker fan fiction, so if you still wanna read a new story from me (i hope you do) you can look out for that one that will be posted very soon! thank you for all your feedback, favorites and alerts!

**also, add me on facebook! the link can be found by clicking 'homepage' on my profile! you'll get news, trivia, LOTS of pictures, and anything and everything else! **


	17. 3rd Story is OUT!

**All you Willow fans and readers of this series! The 3rd installment is OUT! It's called 'Living After Midnight' and it's ready to be read! So please, head on over to my profile, get comfy, read it, and hopefully enjoy it!**

**Happy Readings,**

_**CQ'69**_


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